Don Wright, Manager obtained his BS degree from the University of Houston in 1977. He subsequently did graduate course work in chemistry at the U of H Clear Lake campus but moved from the area before completing the MS program. After working in the analytical laboratories of Amoco Chemical and Oxirane Chemical he joined Scientific Glass Engineering in Austin, Texas as an applications chemist in 1981. He led the company’s efforts to develop a multi-dimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) system, which was successfully marketed by the company for the subsequent 17 years.
In 1993 he founded Microanalytics, serving initially as CEO, President and Technical Director. Under his direction, the company developed and marketed microprocessor and PC based MDGC systems and applications for aroma and trace volatiles analysis. Don developed and authored an industry standard method for vinyl chloride purity assay that subsequently became ASTM Standard D-5507-94 and D-5507-99 (reapproval).
In 1998, Microanalytics was acquired by MOCON of Minneapolis and integrated into the MOCON Separation Sciences Group. Don remained on initially as Technical Director after the acquisition and under the MOCON SSG banner Don continued to design MDGC systems and applications and established a commercially successful contract analytical service for off-odor, aroma and flavor analysis. In December, 2005 Don was promoted to President of Microanalytics (a MOCON Company) reporting to Robert Demorest CEO of MOCON.
In August of 2007 Don ‘semi-retired’ from Microanalytics and formed Don Wright and Associates, LLC; an independent consulting company dedicated to the translation of years of success in odor problem solving in the consumer products industry to the challenging field of community downwind environmental odor problems.
Competetive Sponsored Research Projects
- Principal Investigator for USDA SBIR funded Phase I study. 2001. A study to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing mass spectrometric SIM ion responses as ‘virtual sensors’ for the development of an alternative to conventional sensor array based ‘electronic nose’ technologies. Utlizing aromatic Basmati rice as the target aroma source, demonstrated that the greater sensitivity and selectivity of the mass spectrometer in combination with MDGC-MS-O derived odorant priority information and multivariate analysis yielded a unique and effective aroma / odor characterization tool for potential quality control applications.
- Principal Investigator for USDA SBIR funded Phase II study. 2002 to 2004. Based upon results of the above feasibility this study expanded upon the concept of ‘mass spectrometer as electronic nose’ utilizing the goal of brewery operation flavor /aroma quality control as the initial target for prototype development and process integration. Collaborating with Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, California, this project was successfully executed with prototype development, on site process integration, method development and subsequent long term integration into the brewery’s QC operations.
- Principal Investigator for USDA SBIR funded Phase I study. 2005 to 2006. A feasibility study utilizing MDGC-MS-Olfactometry techniques to prioritize downwind odor impact for complex odorant emissions from high density commercial swine feeding operations. A parallel goal of this on-going study was to explore feasibility of improved alternative sampling and odor assessment strategies with respect to the resulting odorant priority findings. This project was completed with very encouraging results.
- Current USDA SBIR funded Phase II study. Successful competetion for September 2007 funding Phase II study as a r result of the previous 2005 funded Phase I project.