CREM Co Labs
3403 American Drive, L4V 1T8 Mississauga, ON, Canada

Scientists at CREM Co Labs have recently developed a quantitative method to assess the decontamination of high-touch environmental surfaces (HITES) by wiping in a field-relevant manner. The method is suitable for work with all major classes of human pathogens as well as common types of environmental surfaces. It can also assess the transfer of pathogen contamination to clean surfaces during wiping. This method, named Tier 3 of quantitative carrier test (QCT-3), builds on the two tiers (QCT-1 and QCT-2) we had developed earlier.

CREM Co's scientists published the first peer-reviewed test of decontamination devices for car interiors. In the study, the investigators salvaged parts from a four door sedan and reassembled them in our laboratory to recreate the passenger cabin, said Sattar, who is also Chief Scientific Officer, CREM Co. Labs, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The mock-up was housed within a biosafety level 2 containment facility, to guard against the escape of pathogens used in the testing.

DR. SATTAR RECEIVED ASTM INTERNATIONAL’S AWARD OF MERIT: The 2017 Award of Merit was granted to Dr. Sattar on April 04 at a special ceremony in Toronto following the semi-annual meeting of ASTM International’s Committee E35 on Pesticides, Antimicrobials and Alternative Control Agents of which he has been an active member since 1993. Seven test methods developed by him are now standards of ASTM and are referenced globally to assess disinfectants and antiseptics for their activ...ities against human and animal pathogens. ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials) is a highly prestigious standards-setting organization with nearly 32,000 members worldwide. Its Award of Merit was established in 1949 by ASTM International’s Board of Directors and is the highest society award granted to an individual member for distinguished service and outstanding participation in ASTM International committee activities. Recipients also receive the honorary title of Fellow. The Award was presented to Dr. Sattar by Mr. Thomas Marsh, Chairman of ASTM International’s Board of Directors. The citation read was as follows: In recognition of and gratitude for your many years of dedication to ground-breaking research in environmental microbiology and commitment to ASTM International’s Committee E35 on Pesticides, Antimicrobials and Alternative Control Agents in the form of authored standards and generous mentoring of E35.15 members.

Dr. Syed A. Sattar's talk at Center of Excellence for Infection Prevention and Control at Jacobs Center-University of Buffalo: Using Chemicals Microbicides to Interrupt the Environmental Spread of Pathogens: Basic Consideration