Articles | Volume 4, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-4-373-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-4-373-2026
Research article
 | 
04 Sep 2026
Research article |  | 04 Sep 2026

Challenges in measuring sticky biogenic ice-nucleating macromolecules

Joseph Robinson, Martin I. Daily, Polly B. Foster, Jack P. Macklin, James B. McQuaid, Mark D. Tarn, and Benjamin J. Murray

Related authors

GloPINE dataset: model-ready measurements of INP concentrations using PINE instruments
Ross J. Herbert, Larissa Lacher, Alexander Böhmländer, Mark D. Tarn, Antoine Canzi, Aidan Pantoya, Evelyn Freney, Kristina Höhler, Pia Bogert, Céline Planche, Ping Tian, Michael Adams, Sarah Barr, David Brus, Nicole Büttner, Martin Daily, Konstantinos Doulgeris, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Grant Forster, Romy Fösig, Dimitrios G. Georgakopoulos, Maria I. Gini, A. Gannet Hallar, Radovan Krejci, Elke Ludewig, Mauro Mazzola, Ian B. McCubbin, Athanasios Nenes, Tuukka Petäjä, Joseph Robinson, Franziska Vogel, Paul Zieger, Stephen Arnold, Kenneth S. Carslaw, Naruki Hiranuma, Ottmar Möhler, and Benjamin J. Murray
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 18, 6465–6483, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-6465-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-6465-2026, 2026
Short summary
Deep Convective Microphysics Experiment (DCMEX) coordinated aircraft and ground observations: microphysics, aerosol, and dynamics during cumulonimbus development
Declan L. Finney, Alan M. Blyth, Martin Gallagher, Huihui Wu, Graeme J. Nott, Michael I. Biggerstaff, Richard G. Sonnenfeld, Martin Daily, Dan Walker, David Dufton, Keith Bower, Steven Böing, Thomas Choularton, Jonathan Crosier, James Groves, Paul R. Field, Hugh Coe, Benjamin J. Murray, Gary Lloyd, Nicholas A. Marsden, Michael Flynn, Kezhen Hu, Navaneeth M. Thamban, Paul I. Williams, Paul J. Connolly, James B. McQuaid, Joseph Robinson, Zhiqiang Cui, Ralph R. Burton, Gordon Carrie, Robert Moore, Steven J. Abel, Dave Tiddeman, and Graydon Aulich
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2141–2163, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2141-2024,https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2141-2024, 2024
Short summary

Cited articles

Adams, M. P., Tarn, M. D., Sanchez-Marroquin, A., Porter, G. C., O'Sullivan, D., Harrison, A. D., Cui, Z., Vergara-Temprado, J., Carotenuto, F., Holden, M. A., Daily, M. I., Whale, T. F., Sikora, S. N., Burke, I. T., Shim, J. U., McQuaid, J. B., and Murray, B. J.: A Major Combustion Aerosol Event Had a Negligible Impact on the Atmospheric Ice-Nucleating Particle Population, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 125, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD032938, 2020. a
Alden, K. A., Bieber, P., Miller, A. J., Link, N., Murray, B. J., and Borduas-Dedekind, N.: The role of surface-active macromolecules in the ice-nucleating ability of lignin, Snomax, and agricultural soil extracts, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6179–6195, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6179-2025, 2025. a, b
Atthoff, B. and Hilborn, J.: Protein adsorption onto polyester surfaces: Is there a need for surface activation?, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. B, 80, 121–130, https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.b.30576, 2007. a
Augustin, S., Wex, H., Niedermeier, D., Pummer, B., Grothe, H., Hartmann, S., Tomsche, L., Clauss, T., Voigtländer, J., Ignatius, K., and Stratmann, F.: Immersion freezing of birch pollen washing water, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 10989–11003, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10989-2013, 2013. a
Barr, S. L., Wyld, B., Mcquaid, J. B., Iii, R. R. N., and Murray, B. J.: Southern Alaska as a source of atmospheric mineral dust and ice-nucleating particles, Sci. Adv., 9, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg3708, 2023. a, b, c, d, e, f
Download
Short summary
Ice formation in many clouds is initiated by airborne particles, which are often measured by collecting them on a filter and washing them into water for analysis. Using controlled laboratory experiments, we show that some of these particles adhere strongly to the filter and are not recovered. As a result, this common method can underestimate how many ice-forming particles are present in the atmosphere.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint