This podcast is sponsored by InnovaPrep.

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To learn more about InnovaPrep's Concentrating Pipette, please visit InnovaPrep.com or use the 'Request Information' button below this article. 

Timestamps:
[1:11]  - SARS-CoV-2's Achilles' heel (Rose Nash)
[3:58]  - Data for Action! (Rose Nash)
[6:06]  - Reducing turnaround times in wastewater epidemiology (Rose Nash)
[8:24]  - Choosing a concentration method (Rose Nash)
[9:31]  - The science behind the InnovaPrep Concentrating Pipette (Dave Goad)
[14:20] - Sample sizes for wastewater epidemiology (Dave Goad)
[16:25] - Recovery rates (Rose Nash & Dave Goad)
[20:32] - New pre-filter product (Dave Goad)
[25:08] - True concentration factor (Dave Goad and Dave Alburty)
[28:44] - Normalize data using controls (Rose Nash)
[31:37] - Wastewater epidemiology - past, present, and future (Dave Alburty)
[36:07] - Digital PCR vs RT-PCR for wastewater samples (Rose Nash)
[42:07] - Surveillance of variants in the community (Rose Nash)
[44:55] - The power of modern rapid microbiology techniques (Dave Alburty)

Speaker Biographies:

Dave Alburty, CEO at InnovaPrep: Mr. Alburty has over thirty years’ experience in biodefense and related technology development. Beginning at MRIGlobal in Kansas City, his work as a staff research scientist centered on technology development and testing in environmental and biodefense applications. After serving fifteen years at MRI, in 2005 Dave founded a scientific and engineering R&D test and evaluation/product development lab in Drexel Missouri.

Through his work in the biodefense industry, Dave and his team recognized a missing technology between bio-collection and rapid detection/identification. That link is the advancement of sample preparation and biological concentration technologies.  Through internal research and development projects, The InnovaPrep Wet-foam elution process was developed to fulfill that need.  InnovaPrep LLC was subsequently launched in June 2009 as a manufacturer and integrator of biological sampling and concentration systems and solutions.

Dr. Rose Nash is the Director of Research and Development at GT Molecular where she oversees their national wastewater monitoring program that services over 100 communities around the United States. In this role, she oversaw the development and testing that lead to the identification of the first COVID-19 variant of concern ever detected in American wastewater. Previously, Rose served as the R&D Manager at InDevR, a Boulder biotechnology company developing new molecular tools to serve the influenza vaccine industry. Her training includes a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Indiana University, a Doctorate in Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and two post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Colorado-Boulder

David Goad, Senior Scientist at InnovaPrep, is focused on advancing applications that are empowered by InnovaPrep core technology.  He holds a PhD in Veterinary Biomedical Sciences from Oklahoma State University, with expertise in microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology.  He has over 30 years of research experience ranging from microbiology and anti-bioterrorism to molecular assay development and biomolecular interaction analysis.