MDG News and Updates

Our big “why” at Microbial Discovery Group is to Feed, Clean and Save the World. As our products work to do this daily, our employees also find great value in supporting local companies whose efforts work to do the same. For the past five years, MDG has participated in The Hunger Task Force (HTF) Holiday Food Drive. This drive supplies over 1500 families with holiday food bins. What is MDG’s part in the bins?… CEREAL! We’re excited to share that our 5th Annual Cereal Drive was our largest yet. With the support of our partner, United Animal Health in Sheridan, IN, and the generosity of our employees, MDG donated over 700 boxes! These record-breaking numbers encourage us to dream bigger for the 2020 Cereal Drive. It is our hope that next year local companies and MDG partners will join us in this impactful outreach. This year’s contribution to HTF nearly doubled last year’s efforts. Curious as to what sparked the engagement? Six MDG Employees graciously agreed to be part of a pie-in-the-face contest. The rules were simple, if MDG donated over 600 boxes, all six employees would get pied. Turns out, a little fun makes for a good fundraiser. Stay tuned […]

Thanks to hard-working individuals like Ben Clark, MDG recently completed our HACCP recertification audit for food and feed Bacillus cultures! We’re lucky to have a team that works hard at maintaining such a solid foundation for our everyday operations.   1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group? I first started my career at a small, private laboratory. During that time, I really enjoyed the close-knit and collaborative feeling that comes with working in a smaller company. Microbial Discovery Group offers that same type of environment – a diverse group of people with a variety of skills and experiences all working together across departments towards a common goal. 2. What does your typical day look like? Ask anybody here and they’ll all say the same thing – there’s no such thing as a typical day! Part of what makes this job so interesting is that there is always a new set of challenges to face. My day is usually split between our daily QC tasks to ensure everything we produce meets our specifications and our customer’s expectations, as well as helping to make sure both our Franklin and Oak Creek locations remain in regulatory compliance. 3. What are you working on right […]

With two decades of experience in water and wastewater treatment, Luke Mickelson brings his positive energy and industry knowledge when serving his Biotifx® customers. We’re so proud to have such a force on our team! 1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group (MDG)? I believed that there was a better way to handle common wastewater problems. MDG is unique when it comes to offering a solution and I knew back then that I wanted to be a part of it. 2. What does your typical day look like? Each day is a little different. Most days I’m in the field with my distribution partners, working hands-on as we qualify, propose, treat, and report on different opportunities. Other days I am troubleshooting with our technical support team on how to best tackle a specific application. In efforts to expand my reach within the western territory, I’m also continuously collaborating with our marketing team. 3. What are you working on right now? There are many different opportunities within the Western States territory, but I’ve been really focused on bringing Biotifx® to the lift station and collection system markets struggling with H2S issues. Traditional treatment methods for H2S merely treat the symptoms […]

Kaley Pederson came to MDG as a recent college graduate. Her fresh talent and hard work ethic have made her an excellent addition to the research team! 1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group? I was initially drawn in by the variety of things that are done here! Before I joined the team, I did some research and found it interesting to see how far the work spans into so many different applications. As a recent graduate, I was also attracted to the opportunities for growth as well as the growing and innovative culture. 2. What does your typical day look like?  I think everyone that works here can agree that a “typical day” doesn’t really exist, but that’s what keeps things interesting! Day to day I could be performing totally different laboratory techniques for different purposes. From there, my work is used to gain new insights into helping solve some of today’s problems. 3. What are you working on right now? Lately, a lot of my time has been spent helping develop a new product designed to help promote overall gut health 4. What is the most inspiring part of your job? I think one of the most […]

Bacillus are capable of using many types of organic material as a source of energy, and they are very good at adapting their metabolic processes to use whatever energy source is nearby. When sufficient nutrients are available, Bacillus will continually multiply. This is known as exponential growth. Figure 1. Growth of Bacillus when one energy source is available They will continue to grow until their preferred food source is exhausted. Then they will change their metabolic machinery and start using a different food source. During this metabolic shift, there will be a brief pause in growth while the Bacillus make the necessary changes; such as producing different enzymes. After this pause, exponential growth will resume. This process will repeat until all available nutrients have been exhausted. This characteristic of Bacillus makes it a sought-after ingredient in Industrial and Institutional products as Bacillus will continue to work until it has adapted to and utilized all available wastes. Figure 2. Growth of Bacillus when multiple volatile fatty acids are available Bacillus’ ability to grow exponentially in the presence of a food source was demonstrated in the following in-house study. This study measured SporActiv® Bacillus utilization of odor causing volatile fatty acids (VFAs). When one food source was available, Bacillus grew exponentially until that food source was depleted (Figure […]

As the leader of our Process Development Team, Dominic oversees the strain optimization and fermentation scale-up process. Since joining our team in 2015, he has also played a vital role in our expansion project to increase manufacturing capacity. 1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group? I’ve always been fascinated by the synergy between biology and engineering. While in college, I worked on various projects that involved use of microorganisms to make products for different applications – as feed source and for energy production. These experiences inspired me to follow this path professionally. MDG’s mission to “Feed, Clean and Save” the world greatly aligns with my personal and professional interests. All in all, it was the opportunity to research, develop, and apply products that make an impact on people’s lives that ultimately drew me to MDG. 2. What does your typical day look like? My day varies quite a bit. I work closely with teams from Process Development, Production, QC, and R&D to monitor day-to-day processes and activities in the lab as well as on the production floor. On a typical day, we may have meetings to review results from recent batch runs where we troubleshoot and determine cause and […]

When organic waste breaks down, it can generate ammonia, which is a toxic substance that produces a foul, sharp odor. In the Industrial and Institutional (I&I) market, your customers walk past ammonia-causing matter daily, such as food, animal and human waste. These same wastes contain materials that are rich in nitrogen. As the waste decomposes, the nitrogen is converted to ammonia, causing an unpleasant odor. But, without nitrogen, there’s no ammonia… and that’s where Bacillus come into play. All living organisms need a source of nitrogen to support life, including Bacillus. Bacillus strains can utilize the nitrogen in ammonia for bacterial growth. In order to get the nitrogen, Bacillus digest the available ammonia, removing it from the environment and preventing odor. RESULTS In the case of our SporActiv™ products, we specifically selected strains of Bacillus that have high ammonia utilizing capabilities. The more ammonia that is utilized by the Bacillus means less complaints and foul smells. At MDG, a study was conducted to measure the growth of SporActiv™ Foundation in the presence of ammonia. When ammonia was present, there was more bacterial growth, indicating the Bacillus were able to utilize the ammonia nitrogen to support growth (Figure 1). When choosing a Bacillus product, you should also keep in mind that not all Bacillus are able to utilize ammonia at […]

We’ve heard it time and time again, “Does this stuff really work”? This sparked an idea. Why don’t we help our partners eliminate any doubt upfront by sharing in-field results? Better yet, let’s demonstrate how easy it can be for them to create their own. After all, seeing is believing! Through years of successful treatment and having now created 40+ case studies, our distribution partners have proven that these studies are the best tool for creating new believers in bioaugmentation. Because of this, we focus a big part of our training around taking key measurements in the field so that the creation of these case studies is possible. Our team of experts are hands-on in and the field with our partners, demonstrating when and how to properly gather data. As a result, partners can quickly and easily create case studies of their very own. Here are just some of the many benefits we’ve seen from building in a results-driven approach with our partners: Working hands-on in the field accelerates learning for our new distribution partners. Seeing is believing! Case studies validate that bioaugmentation products truly work. Having proof of this creates a strong marketing tool for future business. When our partners demonstrate measurable success […]

Jessica Edward leads a variety of different initiatives within our research and development lab. She has been a key player in implementing new technologies as well as in product and platform development for our customers.   1. What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group? From the very beginning, I was drawn to the small company culture and the strong visions for growth. We are a team that collaborates well together – something I really admire in an organization. I am also encouraged to take on responsibilities that promote both my professional development and personal growth. I could tell from the very start that MDG was investing in me, which makes it easy to put forth the hard work for them. 2. What does your typical day look like? Typical days do not exist, haha. On any given day, I could be running a handful of laboratory tests, catching up on paperwork, researching new methodologies, pulled into an important meeting, emailing with customers as I answer their questions, or really anything that pops up. 3. What are you working on right now? As one of the team leads in our R&D department, I work on a variety of different projects. Lately, […]

Under the Microscope is Production Manager, Ed Tomassetti. Heading the team at our Oak Creek facility, Ed oversees the blending, packaging, and shipping aspects of our business. 1.  What drew you to Microbial Discovery Group? I was looking for a company that offered a meaningful product/service and cared as much about its employees as financial success. I found that company in Microbial Discovery Group. 2. What does your typical day look like? I start every day in a production meeting with my team where we set daily goals and discuss issues that need attention. Afterward, I create product blend formulations for customer orders and inventory replenishment. After a little management, I usually review strain inventory to confirm that our fermentation tank schedule will provide strains in the needed order. Afternoons are typically filled with confirming that the day’s shipments have been picked up, answering emails, making phone calls, and purchasing needed materials/packaging. Did I mention lunch? I always manage to squeeze in a little lunch 🙂 3. What are you working on right now? I’m currently focused heavily on strain, finished product, and ingredient/packaging inventories.  I enjoy looking for ways to improve our accuracy and ensure we manage our inventory […]