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Scientist Spotlight: Dr. Mark Tucker

    

Decon7 is a team of talented individuals, and Chief Science Officer Dr. Mark Tucker is one of the key members. With roots as a civil engineer in the wastewater industry and a long career at a national laboratory focusing on decontamination, Dr. Tucker’s most recent venture is with Decon7, commercializing D7—an innovative disinfectant and sanitizer solution that he co-invented while at Sandia National Laboratory. Although D7 was originally developed to combat chemical and biological warfare, Dr. Tucker saw its potential in a range of industries due to its efficacy, low toxicity, and low corrosive properties. 

In the time of COVID-19, having his experience and expertise is invaluable for providing guidance on disinfection in a broad range of environments. Now more than ever, people need disinfecting products and brands they trust. With Dr. Tucker at the scientific helm, we’re ensuring that healthcare facilities, food processing plants, and public facilities have the products they need to keep employees and occupants safe. His involvement was instrumental in getting D7 on the EPA’s list of approved products for use against SARS-CoV-2.

Education and Career 

Dr. Tucker’s education started at Purdue University where he earned a B.S. in Engineering. He later received two master’s degrees, one in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and the second in civil engineering from the University of New Mexico. He continued at the University of New Mexico to earn his Ph.D. in civil engineering with a focus on water chemistry and water microbiology.

With an initial focus on wastewater, Dr. Tucker’s career quickly shifted to Sandia National Laboratories, where he had a 35-year career and became a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff. At Sandia, his research was primarily centered on chemical and biological warfare agents and developing innovative technologies for decontamination. This is where D7 was born.  

Scientific Achievements

Dr. Tucker’s research focus proved fruitful—he has published numerous papers and articles, and he holds 18 U.S. patents related to decontamination and other technologies. Dr. Tucker is one of the inventors of the original Sandia Decontamination Foam, which was the springboard for the formulation of D7 that is used today. 

The organization benefited from his background in civil engineering, as he was a primary technical contributor on U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of Defense projects. The projects were focused on the development and implementation of strategies and technologies to rapidly restore critical infrastructure, critical assets, and urban areas following the release of a chemical or biological warfare agent or other highly toxic materials. He was also heavily involved in the development of software-based modeling and simulation applications focused on the analysis of recovery options and resource requirements following the release of chemical, biological, or radiological agents.

After wrapping up his career at Sandia, Dr. Tucker shifted gears away from defense to commercializing D7 in other industries. He continues to publish scientific papers and articles as new applications arise, including in response to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Let Our Expertise Work for You

Any team is only as good as the individuals in it, which is one reason Decon7 is fortunate to have Dr. Mark Tucker as our Chief Science Officer. He has been engaged with the development of D7 since the beginning and continues to drive innovation at Decon7. To learn more about what he has been focusing on lately, read his article about how D7 disinfects SARS-CoV-2. If you’d like to try D7 in your facility, contact us today to learn more about applications in public facilities, healthcare settings, food processing plants, and more.

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