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Turn-Around Time, Pricing, Conditions and Restrictions

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:24:58 GMT

Turn-Around Time applies to microbiology samples only. BioIdea is working around the clock to serve you. We guarantee the lowest price in Texas in a 3-6 hour same night turn-around! (see conditions and restrictions) Our service is 7 days a week! PhD mycologist is reading your samples ! And your testing could come with an interpretation report ! (see a sample) Turn-around time For Spore trap air cassettes, Direct exam samples: Turn-around time for mold testing is usually 3-6 hours same night in most cases (i.e. BioIdea will report to you at night around 8:00 -10:30 pm, please call Jay if you are submitting rush samples. For Water samples: Standard 24-28 hours. For culture plate culturable molds: Standard 5-7 days. Please drop your samples @ the Drop Box at 615 Mosman Ct., Houston, TX 77094 (on I-10 and Baker Rd between Barker-Cypress and Fry Rd, close to the small post office). Call Jay @ 832-495-5301 (cell), 281-646-9977 (Home) you are going to drop...

Sample Submission and Rental & Supplies

Sun, 03 May 2009 17:18:26 GMT

BioIdea currently accept mold samples for testing in air cassettes, direct exam samples and culturable mold medium plates, as well as drinking water samples.

Mold and Water Sample Submission form;

BioIdea currently provides Sampling Equipment Rental and Sampling Supplies.

Equipment Rental and Sampling Supplies form;

BioIdea also provides specialty mushroom spawns (please see the mushroom section), as well as provides environmental mold strains isolated from indoor and outdoor environment.

Purchase specialty mushroom spawn form;
For mushromm cultivation technology transfor or consultation (please inquire support@bioidea.net )
Purchase environmental mold strains (please email support@bioidea.net for listing, prices, before place order).

Services -- Microbiology Testing

Fri, 01 May 2009 02:33:12 GMT

Environmental Microbiology Testing We guarantee the lowest price in Texas in a 3-6 hour same night turn-around! (see conditions and restrictions) Our service is 7 days a week! PhD mycologist is reading your samples ! And your testing could come with an interpretation report ! (see a sample) Mold Testing Air Cassettes (Spore Trap): M11 Air-O-Cell, (Zefon); M12 Bio-Cell (GrafTech); M13 VersaTrap (SKC) M14 Cyclex-D (EMS); M15 Micro5 (EMS); M19 Customer defined cassette; Surface Materials: M21 Direct exam (Tape samples); M22 Direct exam (Bulk samples); M23 Direct exam (Swab samples); Live Cultures on Medium Plates: M31 EMS E6 or Anderson impactors (using a vacuum); M32 Stationary plates (without using a vacuum); M33 Derived from Swabs, Tapes, and Bulk samples; M34 Aspergillus species determination (culture only); M35 Penicillim species determination (culture only); M36 Stachybotrys species determination (culture only); ...

How to Submit Your Samples?

Fri, 01 May 2009 02:26:02 GMT

BioIdea is working 7 days a week to serve you. You can submit your samples with this COC /Sample submission form ( Fillable mold and drinking water submission form) at any time during the day and evening to the Drop Box at 615 Mosman Ct., Houston, TX 77094 (on south side of I-10 between Barker-Cypress and Fry Rd). Click the following address to display the map. BioIdea 615 Mosman Ct., Houston, TX 77094. (Courtsy of MapQuest) For directions: From San Antonio travel eastward to Houston: please exit 747B Greenhouse Rd, once pass the Greenhouse Rd on feeder road of I-10, go only about 200 yards, turn right onto Baker Rd, pass the Post Office, pass a STOP sign, pass the water fountains, turn left to Dural Rd, find the 2nd Cul-de-Sac, Mosman Ct, go to 615 Mosman Ct. From Houston travelling westward: please exit 747B Greenhouse Rd, make a U-turn at Greenhouse Rd, go only about 200 yards, then go as the above described. BioIdea is Texas State...

Houston Mold Testing, Texas Mold Testing for Toxic Molds, Black Molds, etc.

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:05:48 GMT

BioIdea for Houston Mold Test, Houston Mold Testing, Texas Mold Test, Texas Mold Testing. BioIdea, a biological company, is a Katy Houston based small company (serving Greater Houston area, Katy, etc), intended to provide environmental mold testing, including testing of Sick-Home Syndrome agent Stachybotrys sp., and other human opportunistic pathogenic molds (such as Aspergillus, Mucor, Fusarium etc), pathogenic yeasts (such as Cryptococcus, Candida), allergenic molds, as well as testing drinking water, and bacteria, and more to come. For your mold testing, and drinking water testing, please click buttons in the left column. We guarantee the lowest price in Texas in a 3-6 hour same night turn-around! (see conditions and restrictions) Our service is 7 days a week! PhD mycologist is reading your samples ! And your testing could come with an interpretation report ! (see a sample) BioIdea also provides technology consultation in transferring hands-on...

Contact Us

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:13:04 GMT

You may contact us with any of the following:

Click here to open The Email Box
Use your own email account and write to support@bioidea.net
Call Jay 832-495-5301 (cell phone), or 281-646-9977 (leave a message).

BioIdea is Texas State Licensed, License No. LAB1007.

Black Mold Stachybotrys

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:10:10 GMT

We guarantee the lowest price in Texas in a 3-6 hour same night turn-around! (see conditions and restrictions) Our service is 7 days a week! PhD mycologist is reading your samples ! And your testing could come with an interpretation report ! (see a sample) This article is also available on the Blog on Mold, Environment and Health @ http://bioideamold.blogspot.com/ Black Mold Stachybotrys The really black Black Mold Stachybotrys, or so-called Sick Home Syndrome mold Stachybotrys is the biggest fear in the Indoor Air Quality industry. It is a cellulolytic saprophyte with a worldwide distribution and is frequently recovered in water-damaged buildings. This black mold aroused significant notification when infants in Cleveland, Ohio, died of pulmonary hemorrhage after lived in Stachybotrys infested houses. From the authoritative book Atlas of clinical Fungi (de Hoog et al., 2000, CBS Netherland), this mold is not described but referred to as a toxigenic fungus,...

Mycoses - What Diseases Molds Can Cause?

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:09:13 GMT

We guarantee the lowest price in Texas in a 3-6 hour same night turn-around! (see conditions and restrictions) Our service is 7 days a week! PhD mycologist is reading your samples ! And your testing could come with an interpretation report ! (see a sample) There are four categories of fungal infections (mycosis), i.e. Superficial mycosis (without tissue response), Mucocutaneous mycosis (skin, eyes, sinuses, oropharynx, external ears, vagina), Subcutaneous mycosis, and Deep organ mycosis. Recently, there is an increase of opportunistic, systemic mycoses in immunocompromised patients. The patients may have been impaired as a result of the development of neoplasia, leukemia, metabolic diseases (diabetes mellitus), drug therapy (cytostatics, antibiotics, corticosteroids), intravenous drug abuse or infections (AIDS). Piedra mold on a hair shaft (Ref: doctorfungus.org) Superficial Mycoses (human or animal body, skin surface, such as hair or lipids, without provoking any...

Comments or Suggestions

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:25:32 GMT

Please choose any of the following:

1. Click here to open The Email Box;

2. Use your own email, write to support@bioidea.net;

3. Call Jay @ 832-495-5301 cell phone, or 281-646-9977 (leave a message).

Your effort is greatly appreciated.

BioIdea is Texas State Licensed, License No. LAB1007.

What are Molds, Fungi, Mushrooms and Yeasts?

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:18:49 GMT

Molds are a group of fungi called "Hyphomycetes", which are chracterized with having filamentous hyphae, and producing airborne spores or conidia (asexual propagules). In nature, molds are decomposers to recycle nature's organic wastes. In medicine, they are the producers of antibiotics.

Fungi are a glomeration of organisms in a separate taxanomic kingdom, in which they differ from Monera (Bacteria), Protista (single-cell eucaryotes mostly), Plants and Animals. Fungi are eucaryotes (with true nuclei in cells) chracterized with having filamentous hyphae, or having yeast forms, obtaining nutrition as decomposers. (For fugal characters, see Facts about Fungi).

Mushrooms are another goup of fungi, which are mainly Basidiomycetes and partially Ascomycetes, both of which share a same feature --having a macroscopic "Fruiting-body, a Mushroom". Fruiting-body is the reproductive organ of the fungus, from which sexual spores are produced and then dispersed either by air or by insects or other animals. All mushrooms are fungi, but only small proportions are edible. It requires an experienced knowledge to know which mushroom is edible, some mushrooms are very deadly.

Agaricus sp. possibly A. campestris, collected from lawn of Second Baptist Church in Katy, Houston in New Year's Day 2009. Cooked and tasted delicious (Warning: Eating wild mushrooms without knowledge poses great danger).

Yeasts are fungi, which don't have filamentous hyphae, but in oval or elliptical shapes visible under a microscope. Some fungi could take both the shapes of filamentous or yeast-like, under different conditions, thus those fungi are called "Dimorphic".

BioIdea is Texas State Licensed, License No. LAB1007

Wild Mushroom Photos (For Curiosity)

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:17:13 GMT

There are thousands of mushroom (Macrofungi) species across the globe. It is said to have >4000 species of mushrooms in North America alone. During many field trips, Jay has been curious in finding all kinds of brilliant species of mushrooms. In fact, Most of mushrooms are Basidiomycetes, a few are Ascomycetes. Below there are the only 2 Ascomycetes. One is Morchella esculenta, a delicious fungus found in South America. The other Ascomycete is called Cordyceps, or Dong-cong-xia-chao (Winter-worm-summer-herb), as called in Chinese, are Ascomycetes invading worm pupas or caterpillars underground during spring and emerge as club fungi above the forest floor in summer. The medicinal Basidiomycete Ganoderma tsugae is found in NC. A sister species called Ganoderma luciderm has been long regarded as Fairy Herb, a miracle medcine in the East. Interestingly, the tree-dwelling Volvariella bombycina is actually found at the side of the reflection pond of Lincoln Memorial in...

Mold Photos

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:16:40 GMT

Molds-- Hyphomycetes

There are estimated 400,000 species of mold species, or the Hyphomycetes. However, a few hundreds common mold species frequently appear in our indoor environment and in the atmosphere.

During humid and warm summer, molds flourish everywhere, but for mold to grow, there must have 3 conditions met: humidity, moderate or warm temperature, and biodegradable organic materials to be present.

Besides molds are the producers of antibiotics, and producers of some special organic chemicals and Nature's decomposer, is there any mold that is good for our respiratory system? the answer is NO!!!

Some expamles are depicted in the following diagram.

BioIdea can tell you how good or bad your indoor air quality is, what are they if you have molds, and how dangerous they are, because we know biology, we know fungi.

BioIdea is Texas State Licensed, License No. LAB1007.

About Bacteria

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:16:01 GMT

This testing is under development.

BioIdea is Texas State Licensed, License No. LAB1007.

How to interpret your report?

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:15:38 GMT

How to interpret your mold report? Air Cassette (Spore Traps, M11-M15): 1. Mold spores are numbers in volume converted to standardized 1000 liters. 2. Your samples were scanned 100%, then read at the indicated percentage (25%, 30 or 50%). 3. Some mold spores are grouped together due to morphological similarity. 4. Background debris indicates how clean or dirty you air is. Rating 1= 0-19%; 2=20-39%; 3=40- 59%; 4=60-79%; 5=80-100% covered by particulate, fibers, pollens, molds, insects etc inside the cassette area. 5. For abbreviation: Asperg=Aspergillus; Clado=Cladosporim; Pith/Stem/Uloclad=Pithomyces/ Stemphylium / Ulocladium; Zygo=Zygomycete; 6. See Disclaimer @BioIdea.net for terms and conditions. Direct Exam (Surface Samples from Tape M21, Swab M23, and Bulk Material M22): 1. Direct exam is qualitative and semi-quantitave, non-viable method, least expensive, yet relatively accurate; 2. Your sample material is scanned 100%, then read...

Facts About Water

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:14:20 GMT

Facts about Water ● Water is the only natural substance with all three states -- liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam) -- visible in everyday life; ● Water freezes at 0 C (32 F) and boils at 100 C (212 F) with which temperature is based on. Except in USA and Jamaica, the entire world uses Celsius to mark temperature. ● Water is unusual in that the solid form, ice, is less dense than the liquid form, which is why ice floats. Without this property, life will not be possible, since all the waterways will be frozen into ice core, thus a frozen globe; ● Water has a high specific heat index. Water can absorb a lot of heat. The high specific heat index of water also helps regulate air temperature more gradually. Cars and big buildings use water to cool. ● Water has a very high surface tension. Water is sticky and elastic, and tends to clump together in drops. Water’s capillary action, allows water to move through the roots of plants and through the tiny...

Facts about Fungi

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:13:43 GMT

Facts about Fungi (also including Molds) · Nature’s recyclers, decomposers of our bio-wastes — most fungi, and most actinomycetes, as well as some bacteria are cleansing our environment! · Life savers — antibiotics: produced by fungi, mostly Hyphomycetes, such as Penicillin, Neosporin, Cephalosporin, etc. are all derived from Hyphomycetes; · Human life’s ambrosia — wine: fermented and produced by the baker’s yeast, Sacchromyces cerevisiae, which had a history as old as the human civilization itself. Interestingly wine brewery (yeast fermentation) was independently invented by many old civilizations, such as the Egyptians, the Sumerians and the Chinese thousands of years ago. · Mother Nature’s delicacies — morels (ascomycetous mushroom), truffles (underground basidiomycetous tube), mushrooms (mostly basidiomycetes, a few Ascomycetes), but excluding yuck- poisonous toadstools (basidiomycetes)! · Ecstasy of religiosity and heavenly...

How to Do Your Sampling?

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:12:30 GMT

Be careful if you never did sampling before. Very importantly, if you are sampling using air cassettes (which are awefully expensive), follow each manufacturer's instruction!!! BioIdea is not liable for any mistake you make. The following are some guidlines for doing sampling suggested by BioIdea if Manufacturers' instructions are not available. Make sure the air-flow direction through cassettes or E6 Microbial Impactor (Anderson Impactor) is correct! Overloading air cassettes will render reading impossible, wasting expensive air cassettes. Overloading molds or bacteria onto medium plates in Anderson Impactor will make reading inaccurate. A. Sample your air with Air-Cassette (below, Diagram A ) For those following air-cassettes, with a vacuum pump of flow-rate of 15 L/Min, sample relatively clean indoor air for 10 min, dirty air for 2-3 min, very dirty air in such as demolition site, moldy basement etc, for only one minute! M11 Air-O-Cell, (Zefon); ...

Sampling Supplies

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:04:09 GMT

BioIdea has the following Sampling Supplies for Microbiology Testing: For Rental (Pump may not be available for rental during busy seasons): High volume vacuum pump, 30 LPM with flowmeter, AC powered (for mold Air Cassette Spore Trap, mold or bacteria Medium Plate sampling); with flow rotameter, tubing and a timer; $50 per day; EMS E6 Microbial Impactor(or called Anderson Impactor), 400 holes (for mold and bacterial Medium Plate sampling); $20 per day; High volume vacuum pump AND E6 Microbial Impactor; $70 per day. For Consumable Supplies (must return equal numbers for testing): Zefon AOC Air-O-Cell mold spore trap cassette; $6 a piece; Versa Trap SKC mold air cassette; N/A; CyclexD mold air cassette; N/A; Micro5 mold air cassette; N/A; BioIdea made Mold Medium Plate with antibiotic; $1 a plate (free when equal numbers of samples are submitted to BioIdea); VWR brand single wrapped Sterile Swab; $0.25 a piece (free when equal numbers...

Disclaimer

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:39:27 GMT

Disclaimer 1. Confidentiality of Your Information Information of regular clients and home-owner customers of BioIdea’s is strictly kept confidential, BioIdea will not release to a third party or release into the public unless the pertinent information is granted a permission by oral or written from the direct client of BioIdea’s, or under legal circumstances permitted by the law. 2. Impartiality of BioIdea’s Testing Results BioIdea remains impartial in identifying or detecting biological or environmental agents. We provide services and products based on our best knowledge and scientific principles. By submitting your samples, you granted permission for BioIdea to perform biological and environmental identification, enumeration and detection, BioIdea bears no legal, financial or other responsibilities beyond this service. 3. Quality of BioIdea’s Testing and Products BioIdea is working hard to try to comply with and towards the NELAC standards. We are...

What are really really bad molds?

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:32:52 GMT

In fact, there is no such a standard in EPA, CDC or NIH, or even the medical societies, who has or have set a criterion. But medical and clinical research already had found many commonly isolated molds or fungi from animals and human. Every medical text book has those mold or yeast names described. Since people are getting older and living longer, new fungal pathogens are growing and emerging. All molds and yeasts are bad!!! The book Atlas of Clinical Fungi. G. S. de Hoog et al. 2000. CBS Netherlands described thousands of fungal molds and yeasts, which are reportedly isolated from animal or human hosts published in scientific journals. Medical mycology textbooks mainly include those common but pathogenic molds and yeasts: Aspergillus fumigatus; Coccidioides immitis; Paracoccidioides braziliensis; Histoplasma capsulatum; Blastomyces dermatitidis; yeast Candida albicans; yeast Cryptococcus neoformans; Dermatophytes, which infect skin and nails. > Any molds that can...