Method and system for sampling of airborne microbial activity

An airborne microbial detection system comprises a housing comprising an air sampler 105 configured to collect and process ambient air to create a liquid sample, the air sampler comprising an air inlet (305, fig 3) and a liquid outlet (330, fig 3). The housing also comprises a removable cassette 130 that has a plurality of vials (210, fig 2a) for receiving a volume of liquid. A first vial is configured for receiving the liquid sample from the air sampler. At least one other vial of the plurality of vials comprises a reagent for a microbial assay and the system is configured to effect an introduction of at least a portion of the liquid sample into the at least one other vial to create a sample under test. A lysing station 120 is also provided so that the sample under test can be lysed, and a monitoring station is provided for determining optical changes in the sample under test and to provide an output indicative of monitored optical changes. The system is configured to effect a movement of the cassette within the housing for selective presentation of the cassette to each of the air sampler, lysing station and monitoring station 150. Preferably, the assay is a loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay.