The recent outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease in New York highlights the
vulnerability of cooling systems to pathogens. We are Christine McInnis
and Ian Tomlinson. Ask Us Anything!
Abstract
Hi Reddit! Like many of you, we’ve been watching the events unfold in
New York as the city works to combat the outbreak of Legionnaires
Disease. This case provides a vivid example of how even in a mature,
developed country, we still have a lot we can do to protect human
health, and highlights the importance of water chemistry in our everyday
lives. We are researching sustainable ways to control microbial growth
in water systems –which provide an ideal environment for various
pathogenic and resistant bacteria that lead to health and safety issues.
Christine McInnis: I am a Ph.D. organic chemist with a background in
biology and am responsible for developing breakthrough solutions for
microbial control in water applications globally. I am passionate about
responsible use of water, reduction of energy used in water-related
processes, and preventing diseases spread through water systems. I have
authored more than 20 papers and hold a patent. I also hold leadership
positions within the Association of Water Technologies, Cooling Tower
Institute and the American Chemical Society. Ian Tomlinson: I am a Ph.D.
organic chemist and Research Fellow at Dow. During the last 3 decades my
research has covered a wide variety of fields from contract
manufacturing and biotechnology to pharmaceuticals and drug research, to
water purification and microbial control. Solving complex issues such as
the incidence of Legionnaires disease requires understanding the root
cause. Using this knowledge to help develop new solutions to address
important human problems is what makes the life of a scientist exciting.
I hold 30 US patents and have a dozen more pending; I have authored 8
papers in peer reviewed journals and I am a member of the Royal Society
of Chemistry and the American Chemistry Society. We’ll be back at 1 pm
ET (5 pm UTC, 10 am PT) So, please, Ask Us Anything! There has been a
lot of great discussion on this topic. Thank you for your questions and
comments! We will try to answer a few more questions as time allows in
the next few days. Feel free to find us on LinkedIn if you want to
continue the discussion.