Innovative Drone Technology Incorporates Assured Bio Labs’ patented M-TRAP® Technology to Capture Mold and Plant Pathogens.

Assured Bio Labs is excited to collaborate with GeoAir to bring rapid disease detection to farmers and grower. The ability to detect plant disease pathogens, and pinpoint the location of early infection in a field crop, such as corn or soybeans, will allow farmers to treat disease hot-spots in a field with pesticides, rather than spraying the whole field, which is the current practice. The use of GeoAir’s drone technology has the potential to save growers considerable expense on pesticides, while improving yields related to disease loss. The adoption of pathogen detection drones by the agriculture community may significantly reduce pesticide use in the United States. Reducing pesticide use improves the environment, especially sensitive waterways and wetlands contaminated by runoff. Reduction also benefits the health of citizens living in rural areas with intense crop production. They are exposed to higher pesticide concentrations compared populations inhabiting urban communities.

Click here to Read more about innovative Agriculture technology programs in Tennessee

Click Here to Learn more about the M-TRAP microbial capture technology.

About the Author: Edward Sobek, PhD, MBA

Dr. Edward Sobek has 25 years of experience in microbiology and indoor air quality. He has a master’s degree in Plant Pathology from Iowa State University, where he studied Fusarium disease transmission in field crops. He received his doctorate degree from Texas Tech University where he studied the ecology of desert molds (mitosporic fungi). He obtained his Executive MBA in Healthcare leadership from the University of Tennessee's presidious Haslam School of Business in 2016. Dr. Sobek is an active researcher. He holds the appointment of Senior Research Scientist with the University of Tennessee’s Center for Environmental Biotechnology CEB and has developed and patented several mold detection technologies. He is a sought after speaker on the scientific circuit by educational and governmental organizations that are anxious to learn how to use DNA to detect mold in residential and commercial properties. He has also published a variety of scientific papers, book chapters, white papers, and trade articles for the IAQ industry.