Assured Bio Labs, located in Oak Ridge, TN, offers many different products and services that range from patented air quality monitoring systems to advanced molecular diagnostics (DNA, RNA, qPCR, NGS). Among the variety of offerings from Assured Bio lies the Product Testing program, which allows clients to test product claims as well as determine their product’s overall capabilities. 

The Product Testing program includes state-of-the-art facilities and technology built around antimicrobial efficacy testing and product functionality. All facilities and systems are customizable to meet the needs of unique products and applications. 

Assured Bio Lab’s 2,295 ft³, one-of-a-kind Aerosol Research Chamber (ARC) facility uniquely provides the ability to aerosolize and capture microbes to simulate real world scenarios (Figure 1). Whether in an office, hospital, manufacturing facility, school, church, home, etc., the validation of efficacy for indoor air quality products such as ultraviolet, photocatalytic air cleaners, ionizers, mechanical filters, wood smoke, and microbial remediation devices is paramount and achievable using the ARC. Microbes such as fungal spores, bacterial suspensions, and virus surrogates can all be aerosolized to simulate sporulation, deposition through contact, and viral spread through sneezing.  

These microbes can then be sampled from the indoor air and from selected surfaces within the space to accurately determine a device’s ability to maintain a safe and contaminant free environment. This, partnered with the latest technology in gas detection, particle size and distribution monitoring, and volatile organic compound testing, guarantees the most in-depth and comprehensive reporting in the industry. Assured Bio’s educated lab professionals are trained to use the chamber to manipulate airflow, temperature, humidity, and air changes per hour to investigate specific capabilities of products and how they respond to a simulated real-world environment. 

Figure 1: The Aerosol Research Chamber (ARC) with common aerosol testing equipment set up. 

The lab also utilizes a 1,100-liter stainless steel chamber system (Figure 2), which allows lab analysts to precisely control temperature and humidity in a more concentrated setting compared to the ARC. These chambers allow for a high level of control over experimental conditions before scaling up to larger environments.  

Figure 2: Stainless steel chambers used in controlled experiments. 

In addition to the ARC and stainless-steel chambers, Assured Bio also maintains and operates Biological Safety Cabinets (Figure 3) that maintain sample sterility during testing. These cabinets mitigate the risk of contamination from outside microorganisms, allowing products to perform in a completely sterile and controlled environment. Having control over sample environment sterility is critical to ensuring accurate results and data. 

Figure 3: Biological Safety Cabinets used for maintaining sample sterility and control. 

All the listed facilities/services can be applicable to both large companies who regularly test established products for efficacy and compliance and to smaller businesses/startups looking to determine and understand new products. Potential clients are encouraged to contact Assured Bio if they are unsure how or if their product(s) need to be tested.  

“We work with our clients actively from start to finish,” David Grant, Assured Bio’s Product Manager, said. “This includes consultations to figure out exactly what they need, followed by a detailed written protocol that ensures transparency. We then perform the experiment and report to clients on their product. Reports are very thorough, and we are always available to assist clients with interpreting any data we send them.”  

Between the ability to analyze samples, process all data and statistics, and plan and execute experiments, Assured Bio’s product testing analysts are experienced and qualified to perform any/all necessary procedures for testing any product.  

According to Cole Ayres, one of the lab’s product testing analysts, the purpose of Assured Bio’s Product Testing Program is, “To determine the efficacy of methods, technologies and processes associated with the remediation and treatment of viral, fungal, and bacterial microbes.” This applies to both client and internal experiments. 

In addition to performing experiments and trials for clients, Assured Bio executes Research and Development experiments for their patented products, like the WhisperCare®, as well as other broad, general experiments. Some findings and results from these experiments are currently in preparation for presentation in the broader scientific literature.  

More Assured Bio Product Testing information is available here. If you have any questions or are interested in testing your product, contact Assured Bio at info@assuredbio.com or visit their website here.  

About Assured Bio Labs 

Your environmental microbiology laboratory – Assured Bio, located in Oak Ridge, TN, is an AIHA-LAP, LLC accredited laboratory for testing mold, bacteria, and viruses using traditional microscopic analysis to advanced DNA-based diagnostics. Assured Bio processes and interprets samples from homes, office buildings, schools, hospitals, micro-sensitive manufacturing facilities, and other buildings. Keep up with all things Assured Bio on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.