Dora Taggart
Since joining Microbial Insights in 2001, the array of MBTs developed and validated at Microbial Insights has been greatly expanded from the first commercial qPCR analysis (Dehalococcoides) through the development of the QuantArray® and commercialization of stable isotope probing (SIP) to the Microbial Insights Database. Dora personally analyzed the first commercial Dehalococcoides qPCR samples and continues to propel MI forward by collaborating with leading researchers in academia and federal agencies to ensure that MI remains on the cutting edge. As President, Dora has become a global ambassador for MBTs, regularly presenting as an invited speaker at environmental and corrosion conferences, leading hundreds of technical workshops worldwide, and co-authoring guidance documents with groups like the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC) EMD team and ER Wiki (Remediapedia) to support appropriate use and interpretation of MBTs. In 2011, Dora was named the most valuable team member for the ITRC EMD team. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Bottle Rocket Productions, Boys and Girls Club of the Cumberland Plateau, Environmental Workshops, LLC as well as the Board of Visitors for the University of Tennessee Department of Microbiology. Dora received her degree in Biomedical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.