MDG News and Updates

This message is for all of you cleaning at home and all the industrial and institutional (Jan-San) professionals; those of you who are cleaning our critical infrastructure facilities during this unique time. Thank you for your efforts and service. As a microbiologist who formerly worked for a chemical company who sold chlorine and bromine oxidizer products (similar to bleach), I suggest everyone take note of the CDC Recommendations to Clean AND Disinfect. These two common terms are both very different and important. According to the CDC, “cleaning refers to the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. Cleaning does not kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection. Disinfecting refers to using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.” It’s likely that most people at work and at home are disinfecting right now, judging by the empty bleach shelves and inability to find Clorox wipes anywhere. While disinfecting is important, we need to be sure we are also cleaning. Cleaning removes dirt, debris, impurities and lowers the number of […]

Now more than ever, wastewater workers are absolutely essential. With an influx in residential water use, we see and appreciate the hard work being done to keep the world of water running as smoothly as possible. While our ability to travel is limited at this time, our technical service team is ready to help from afar. “This time of year is always busy for wastewater treatment plants, but the COVID-19 pandemic has definitely kicked it up a notch. Our team of experts are here to help!” explained Dan Romanek, Wastewater Technical Service Manager. “We’re here to share tips, recommendations, and other virtual support requests. The more the merrier!” If you have any questions surrounding biological treatment, please give us a call or shoot us a message. We’d love to help!

In a story as old as time, a new product comes to market, fails to make an impact, then fizzles out. Now, in talking with our customers, what we have learned is that some of the new “ground-breaking” solutions just end up causing more headaches than they’re worth. So, when the time came to expand our biological product offerings within the wastewater market, we sought to rewrite that story and began the process of developing our Biotifx® platform. Initially, our research and development team became laser focused on creating a top-notch product that would aim to serve a variety of needs for the wastewater community. Just as it’s sometimes hard to upgrade to that new piece of computer software – changing the process can be scary. Removing the fear and risk became the foundation of our Biotifx® program. We saw the importance of spending time outside of the lab to create a complete program that was grounded on what MDG does best: partnerships. PRODUCTS First, let’s quickly talk about our product innovation. It began with asking questions and then many more followed. Simply put: we listened. We heard about the challenges faced by facilities and got to work. Building on […]

MDG is excited to announce the OMRI listing for ZymoBac® GRO M50B, our solution for the Plant Health market. You can view ZymoBac® GRO M50B’s certificate here! “MDG is excited to announce that OMRI has reviewed ZymoBac® GRO M50B and has determined that it is Allowed for use in compliance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP)!”  Shannon Losing., Regulatory and Quality Manager of Microbial Discovery Group. What is ZymoBac® GRO? Our ZymoBac® GRO line chosen for its wide arrary of enzyme production to improve plant health and increase yields, and this listing now means that ZymoBac® GRO M50B can be used as a part of the USDA National Organic Program. We are proud that our Bacillus can be a part of organic agriculture, giving farmers a plant health product alternative to traditional materials. The organization that gives these listings is OMRI, the Organic Materials Review Institute. OMRI is a non-profit organization that reviews and lists products that follow the USDA in the National Organic Program. OMRI lists agricultural input products such as nutrients, pesticides, crop treatment, and animal feed additives. What does this listing mean for ZymoBac® GRO M50B users? OMRI informs producers about products that can be used in organic farming operations, making it easy […]

Throughout a facility tour at MDG you’ll walk past different sizes of the same equipment, one example, specifically of interest to many plant companies, is the 6-foot pilot spray dryer that stares up at a 34-foot electric production spray dryer. Flexibility in spray drying equipment size offers two intentional benefits: affordable trials and high-yield spore production.    What is Spray Drying? MDG’s Pilot Spray Dryer Spray drying is used in markets such as custom fermentation, plant health, animal agriculture, wastewater, I&I, aquaculture, human probiotics, landfill, and bioremediation. This process involves drying liquid droplets into a fine powder. A nozzle that turns a stream of liquid into a fine mist allows for droplets ranging in micron sizes to be achieved and produce fine particles as the water droplets dry. Fine particle sizes are required for applying product through in field spraying applications making it a popular drying method for agriculture products.   Affordable Trials  Field trials are a common step in bringing a new strain or product to market. Field trials require a small amount of high-quality product and bringing a product to market requires high amounts of high-quality product. While that may seem like stating the obvious, few manufacturers are set-up to execute on […]

All markets experience industry trends, both perils and opportunities. The key to success within any market is not simply navigating trends but getting ahead of the impact. As a Bacillus manufacturer for multiple markets, we tend to see overlap, allowing us to predict and forecast changes. Today, in the Janitorial and Sanitation industry, many of our partners are discussing trends that are both specific to the industry, and trends impacting markets across the globe. Lead Times and Availability Supply chain disruptions are felt across nearly all industries. Delays in raw materials, backlogged freight, and the rising demand has resulted in price spikes and the urgent need for replacement options. Green Ingredients  Clean ingredient incentive groups all over the world have taken a hard look at manufacturers of products used for industrial, institutional, janitorial, and commercial cleaning. Of particular interest is the environmental impact these products elicit. Labor Shortages  The Bearu of Labor and Statistics US Bearu Labor report stated that in 2021, 47.8 million and in early 2022, 4.3 million Americans “quit” their jobs. This has been deemed as the “Great Resignation” and because of this, companies are finding it hard to hire talent with the skills needed. Sustainability Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are […]

Now more than ever, wastewater workers are absolutely essential. With an influx in residential water use, we see and appreciate the hard work being done to keep the world of water running as smoothly as possible. While our ability to travel is limited at this time, our technical service team is ready to help from afar. “This time of year is always busy for wastewater treatment plants, but the COVID-19 pandemic has definitely kicked it up a notch. Our team of experts are here to help!” explained Dan Romanek, Wastewater Technical Service Manager. “We’re here to share tips, recommendations, and other virtual support requests. The more the merrier!” If you have any questions surrounding biological treatment, please give us a call or shoot us a message. We’d love to help!

Many people have been stocking up on toilet paper over the past few weeks. If you haven’t visited the toilet paper aisle in a while, you may be making tough decisions. Most grocery store TP shelves quickly started to collect dust. A lack of toilet paper means that many will turn to alternatives, causing issues for homeowners and municipalities if steps aren’t taken. No toilet paper means Kleenex, wipes, paper towels, shop towels, rags, and newspapers will make their way into the sewer systems. Many of you are already aware of the problems wipes are causing for municipalities. Additionally, homes with septic tanks will cause great problems if they are flushing paper towels and newspaper to their systems. The materials within these TP alternatives are hard to digest. When a sewer system can’t handle the load, it backs up into your own house or apartment. The backup may be caused from your house or your neighbors but regardless of who started the problem, it can quickly turn into a neighborhood disaster. With backups comes the stink, the E. coli, and the viruses. Viruses are always a concern but with the subject heightened around COVID-19, MDG wants to caution everyone to rethink […]

When it comes to treating wastewater lagoons and ponds, our partners follow our full-service treatment approach that combines premier bioaugmentation products, step-by-step treatment programs, and in-field support. This unique combination creates a complete solution that brings real success to their customers – just like this real lagoon treatment story! BACKGROUND One of our distribution partners (DPs) was working with a beverage manufacturer who was utilizing evaporative wastewater holding ponds. Once a pond was filled, they allowed it to dry completely before excavating solids and refilling. A typical cycle included one month to fill the pond, followed by three months of drying. THE CHALLENGE: SLUDGE + ODOR Over some time, an issue arose when a persistent sludge cap formed on the surface of the water. This cap started preventing water from evaporating within their normal three-month cycle and it caused the pond to become anaerobic, releasing strong, unpleasant odors. THE SOLUTION: BIOTIFX® PRODUCTS + PROGRAMS By working with our technical service team and following the step-by-step Lagoon Treatment Program, our DP was able to determine WHERE, WHEN, and HOW MUCH of Biotifx® ULTRA was needed for treatment. Data was collected before, during, and after and included pictures of the sludge cap, basic water […]

To meet the growing demand for premium, full-service bioaugmentation solutions, MDG expands their wastewater treatment team into the Northeast region. Microbial Discovery Group LLC (MDG) is pleased to announce the addition of Russell Simpkins as their newest Account Manager for the Wastewater Treatment industry. Russell will focus on servicing new MDG partners with our Biotifx® platform, a complete solution that includes top-of-the-line bioaugmentation products, step-by-step treatment programs, and in-field technical support. Russell brings over 30 years of sales experience at companies such as Ingredion Incorporated and American Water, where he was responsible for specialty chemical sales for the pulp and paper sector of the wastewater treatment industry. “Over the past few years, our focus has been on revolutionizing wastewater treatment with the use of bioaugmentation. Our Biotifx® platform combines high-value bioaugmentation products, tools, and services that have shown time and again to add significant value to common industry challenges. We’re happy to welcome Russell to our growing team and to further expand our business into the Northeast. There are endless opportunities, and we’re proud to have such a dedicated sales professional representing MDG” added Dan Romanek, National Sales Manager. When asked what he was most looking forward to, Russell explained, […]