06/12/15 Maine Molecular Quality Controls

Our speaker last Friday  was Joan Gordon,President and CEO of Maine Molecular Quality Controls (MMQC). She and a partner, Clark Rundell, started the business in 2000 and today it has  fifteen employees. It is currently moving into a new and larger facility in Saco. The company sends its product to medical testing laboratories across the United States and around the world. The medical labs are using testing systems which look at and measure DNA molecules. MMQC provides test control kits for specific diseases and disorders which the lab can use to measure the quality of their diagnoses and recommended therapies. The molecular diagnostic field is growing. New tests come out ever day and they all need controls.

“Yes, MMQC has competitors in the United Kingdom, Boston and California.” “Yes, the equipment is expensive and we used grant monies to get started ($300,00).” “Yes, government controls are now in place. They’ve been on the books since 1988.  The FDA is now getting the act. A Massachusetts lab's miss-diagnosis was a wake-up call!”

Joan, at the end of her talk, particularly  acknowledged the assistance given by Rotarian Bob Trail (her father)  to the growth and progress of MMQC.

(Photo: Clark Rundell, Bob Martin, Joan Gordon, Bob Traill and President Kris)

(Photo: Joan Gordon and President-elect Bowen "Vannah" Depke assisting our speaker with her visual aids.)