InnovaPrep's technology is so precise, it can detect Covid-19 in wastewater when only one passenger on a flight is infected.
The Drexel-based company, which makes sample collection and concentration tools for modern microbiology, was part of a study by Australian government agency the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). The study also included Qantas Airlines, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Queensland.
The study aimed to detect the Omicron variant coming into Australia early on by testing wastewater on Qantas flights to help with quarantine procedures and prevent the spread of Omicron. The study used InnovaPrep's Concentrating Pipette Select tool and its Wet Foam Elution process to ensure a high enough concentration of the virus in the final samples.
"It's a huge opportunity to help with the whole Covid situation," InnovaPrep CEO and co-founder Dave Alburty said.
Alburty expects demand for wastewater testing to continue growing, citing examples such as President Joe Biden's plan to use the method for future pandemic preparedness.
Wastewater testing offers several advantages, including being noninvasive and cheaper than traditional test kits. Whole sewersheds that include thousands of people can be tested easily, he said. That data can be used to discover the spread of new variants and to inform decisions around mask mandates and quarantining.
"It's going to have a permanent future for pandemic preparedness and for monitoring the flu and other diseases," Alburty said of wastewater testing. "For public health in general, it's become a powerful tool. It's just now becoming the thing that everybody does. It's being done all over the world."
The Australian study provided further validation of InnovaPrep's technology, confirming its high accuracy rates and a faster sample concentration step over many methods.
InnovaPrep's technology has received 30 patents and can concentrate samples in five minutes versus the one to three days using traditional methods. The company also built automation into the process, which means less labor and a dependable, repeatable method.
The company has grown to 39 employees. Key hires this year have included a CIO, director of supply chain, HR program manager, and business and quality systems manager.
Alburty expects revenue to double this year, driven by a need for rapid and automated microbiology methods. InnovaPrep's technology is used by entities such as NASA and companies screening household products such as shampoo and detergent. About 40% of its business is overseas in places such as Europe, China and Japan.
Studies like CSIRO's have helped InnovaPrep in many cases whittle its sales cycle to a week versus months.
"Scientists love data, and they especially want to see that somebody else was able to do this," Alburty said. "It gives them confidence that it's not just a big experiment that's not going to work."
