MORE than £200,000 has been awarded to a team from the University of York who are developing a “virtual air” archive.

The money from the National Environment Research Council will go towards new computer equipment which will allow atmospheric chemists to retrospectively analyse stored samples of air.

The York project, called Big Data for Atmospheric Composition and Chemistry: Understanding and Science, is led by Professor Alastair Lewis and Professor Matthew Evans from the university’s department of chemistry.

Professor Lewis said the work focused on measuring organic compounds in air which could have a revolutionary effect on our science.

The Government funding has gone to 24 Big Data projects across the UK which are designed to make the country a world leader in science and research.

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: “Making the most of large and complex data is a huge priority as it has the potential to transform public and private sector organisations and drive research and development.”