Ragweed Research Investigates Spread of Ragweed

Filed in archive Allergy: Research and Development , Hay Fever on September 25, 2007

Just wanted to give kudos to two Johns Hopkins graduate students Mike Martin and Marcelo Chamecki for the field study they've been conducting on the evolution and dispersal of ragweed pollen.

According to Martin: "I want to know how the plant's structure and behavior have influenced its success as an invasive weed. If we can understand how ragweed was adapted to its prehistoric environment, we may find better ways to control its harmful effects in the present day by predicting when the pollen will be released and where it will end up."
Chamecki, on the other hand says: "I want to use the data from our field experiments to develop and calibrate a computer model. This model could be used to predict how pollen grains are likely to spread under different topographic and atmospheric conditions. If the computer model works for ragweed, it should also work for other types of pollen and other tiny airborne particles and organisms like bacteria, soot and even snowflakes."

I hope we can see the results of their research published soon. This study is bound to have a big impact on the millions of people suffering from ragweed allergies not only in America, but also in other parts of the world where ragweed has apparently invaded as well.