Plus: Aquagenx exhibiting at EDAR7 Montreal

Behind the Scenes at Aquagenx

Aquagenx, LLC was formed in 2012. We began shipping our water quality test kits in 2013. Since then, we have manufactured and distributed hundreds of thousands of tests that are used in over 120 countries.

Here is a look at our current primary team members who help make this happen!

Video Interview with Mark D. Sobsey

Dr. Mark D. Sobsey is Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder at Aquagenx. We recently asked him about the state of water quality testing in 2024.

Order Fulfillment Warehouse

Our warehouse stores all inventory and packs and ships orders. The Aquagenx warehouse team includes seven people who pay excellent attention to detail to our customers' many orders, both domestic and international. They pack your orders with care so they remain safe during transit.

Technical Support

Name: Maren Anderson, PhD

When did you start working at Aquagenx? August 2022.

What is the most unusual technical support question you've had to answer? The most unusual technical support question I had to answer was if bumpy roads would interfere with the outcome of CBT EC+TC Kit test results. The answer of course is as long as the seal clips are fastened securely on the Compartment Bag, then turbulence will not interfere with the incubation of the bacteria.

Are you flooded with technical support questions? No! This is due to the simplicity and consistency of Aquagenx products and the excellent documentation available on the Aquagenx website.

Why do you like your job? I have always felt strongly about the basic human right to have access to safe drinking water and focused my studies and research on that topic. I enjoy working at Aquagenx because I am supporting the people who are doing the work necessary to help ensure that drinking water supplies are safe.

What is your background and expertise? I have PhD in Environmental Health Microbiology and was in Dr. Sobsey's lab from 1999-2003. My research focused on antimicrobial bacteria present in groundwater on and near swine farms. In addition to my work at Aquagenx, I am currently a data specialist and develop data for risk assessment and clinical decision support models.

Business Operations

Name: Don Hirsh

When did you start working at Aquagenx? In 2017.

What do you do for the company? To use a baseball analogy, I am a utility infielder at Aquagenx, a role I enjoy a great deal. One of the pleasures of working at a small company is how many different things one has to do to keep the company running smoothly. My responsibilities range from accounting and inventory management, to product and project management, market analysis, video editing, and sometimes even prototype production.

Why do you like your job? I have always gravitated to jobs that require a wide range of skills and often have broad objectives. It makes for a constantly stimulating work life. A small business like Aquagenx delivers a constantly changing stream of tasks to keep the business running smoothly. It is satisfying to build this company while serving fundamental human needs for safe water.

What's been one of the most challenging things you've done for the company? When we introduced the Aquagenx GEL E. coli CFU test in 2022, it became apparent we'd need a larger, portable incubator for testing in cooler ambient environments that would hold a series of GEL Bags in a flat or supine orientation. When we couldn't find any suitable off-the-shelf solutions, I set out to design and fabricate a series of prototypes. I think we came up with a serviceable design and we are working with one of our partners to commercialize a product based on the results.

Sales & Marketing

Name: Lisa Hirsh

When did you start working at Aquagenx? In 2012.

Did you know anything about WASH when you started at Aquagenx? Not a thing. My background and expertise is building sales and marketing programs from the ground up. Over the years, I've been on an epic learning curve, and hope I've been able to represent our products well and speak intelligently to customers.

How did the company fulfill orders in the early days? It's a classic start-up story. During the first year-and-a-half, the company's investors stored inventory and fulfilled orders from the garage of one of their homes. We moved all inventory to the finished basement of our home in mid-2014. I packed all orders from then until May 2020, when we finally outsourced warehousing and order fulfillment.

What do you like best about your job? First is speaking with customers from throughout the world, either on Zoom or in person. I love meeting people from different countries and cultures, and hearing how our products help solve problems and ensure safe water. Second, is it's an honor to work at a for-profit company that provides products that represent elegant science manifested in simple solutions that fill gaps in the market and help save lives. Last but not least, it's a privilege working with Dr. Sobsey, our company's advisors and my colleagues. It is a lean but excellent and highly effective team.

Are you related to Don Hirsh? Yup! We've been married since 1980 and have four adult children and one grandchild. They all live close by, which is a tremendous blessing.