Michael Thomas

With a B.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry and experience in the application and sales of field and laboratory instrumentation, Mike is our ‘science-meets-technology’ person, also known as our Application Scientist. Mike’s role will be to ensure customers fully leverage our software enablement platform, so they can get the most out of their water quality data. His passions are music, reading, grilling, and science, though not necessarily in that order. During Canada’s short summers he spends time trying out the local craft breweries, taking road trips to concerts and exploring the parks and hiking trails of the Maritimes.

Converting qPCR results to resemble Culture Method results

Familiarity with the results is important Since many operators like to have results reported in a format that is familiar to them, it is possible to convert the gene copies/mL obtained from a qPCR reaction into an approximate cells/mL which is a calculation based on the average amount of gene copies per organism determined from… Read More

Harness the Power of One Bacterium to Remove PFAS from the Environment

What are PFAS? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of synthetic organic molecules, which are not naturally occurring in nature. Due to the strong carbon-fluorine bond present in these molecules, they are especially long-lived once released into the environment and are resistant to regular chemical remediation methods. These compounds have been commercially produced… Read More

All you need to know about qPCR

qPCR with quick and easy-to-interpret results will be key As quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) becomes more accepted and available to a range of industries looking to quantify their (specific) microbial populations, the ability to provide quick and easy-to-interpret results will be key. The initial development of qPCR assays has been focused on potential human… Read More

Four Important Guidelines for Getting the Most out of your Metagenomics Data

Metagenomics is an emerging field. Metagenomics is a quickly evolving field, with new papers being published and new products and services being offered each year. Since metagenomics analysis is a relatively new field in microbiology, standard procedures are still being worked on from different researchers and companies. If results are to be comparable between different research institutions and companies, it… Read More

How Microbial Communities are an Ocean of Possibilities

The oceans of the world have been a source of mystery and wonderment for humans since the beginning of recorded history. They have served as a method of transportation for peoples, products, and ideas while providing sustenance for countless coastal civilizations. But did you realize they are also home to unique microbiological communities? And they… Read More

Food Safety Regulations Gets Tighter, Food Testing Gets Easier

Analyzing The Global Food Market Bananas from Ecuador, cashews from Ghana, and rice from India. What do these products have in common? They’ve all traveled thousands of miles to the aisles of grocery stores across North America, and have been exposed to hundreds of microbes along their way. A trip to your local supermarket… Read More