Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Richard Mariita holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Medical Microbiology, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Molecular Microbial Physiology and Bioinformatics. Richard obtained a postdoctoral fellowship as a President's Fellow at Brown University, where his research focused on Biological Chemistry, particularly post-translational modifications and strain improvements. He subsequently held a Visiting Scientist position in the Chemistry Department at Brown University before transitioning to the manufacturing industry. In the manufacturing industry, he led scientific and biosafety initiatives for Crystal IS, an Asahi Kasei Company located in Upstate New York that manufactures UVC LEDs. He managed projects in water, air, and surface disinfection with a client base ranging from the automobile, HVAC, hospital surface disinfection, medical device, and water disinfection sectors.  

Richard is an author, inventor, consultant, and serial entrepreneur, having co-founded Airbuild, a climate tech company, and UV4Good, a humanitarian organization that offers innovative solutions to marginalized communities in need of clean drinking water which can be sourced from unconventional sources. Richard is also the co-founder of Covspect. Richard has won numerous awards and has several scientific publications in the fields of UVC and infectious diseases. He is a member of the NSF/ANSI 55 committee (water disinfection standards), IEEE (air disinfection standard development), ASHRAE, and the American Society for Microbiology.  

Currently, Richard also works at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) as a Principal EHS Specialist/Biosafety Compliance Supervisor. He also consults for the UVC LED industry. Richard loves traveling with his family, walking everywhere, and using his feet as much as possible, reading, trying food from different cultures, watching MMA, listening to classical music and African Jazz, and supporting his favorite soccer team, Arsenal FC located in the borough of Islington, North London, UK.

Microbial BioSolutions was originally conceived by Richard in December 2018 at Green Island village, New York. It took almost 6 years to get the right match of co-founders, have a deep dive with them and officially incorporate Microbial BioSolutions.  

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Atticus Hamilton earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University in 2022. His academic and professional journey includes extensive experience in protein purification and ELISA, as well as work with high-consequence organisms like Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae.

He has contributed to leading institutions, including the Mayo Clinic, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, and the Wyoming Department of Health. Atticus is pursuing his medical degree while simultaneously developing two innovative start-up technologies. His interests extend beyond biotechnology and microbiology to marine biology and astrobiology, which significantly inform his research and entrepreneurial endeavors.

Outside his professional pursuits, Atticus enjoys hunting, fly fishing, mountaineering, and exploring the great outdoors. Atticus is unyielding in his pursuit of developing comprehensive diagnostics to ensure the health and safety of the people of Wyoming, the United States, and globally.

Co-Founder and Chief Science & Technology Officer (CSTO)

Sandy Hernandez holds a Master of Engineering (ME) and Master in Philosophy (MPhil) in Biomedical Engineering from Yale University. He also earned his Bachelor of Engineering (BE) from Stony Brook University. He has over 10 years of experience in molecular biology laboratory work ranging from studying the electrical properties of heart cells all the way down to the mechanical manipulation of individual muscle proteins at the molecular level. He has developed a fascination with how the biological world works from a physics and engineering perspective with the desire to learn how nature produces such beautiful and elegant designs and to apply these lessons to inventions that can help advance human well-being and health. 

After graduating, Sandy ventured to study abroad in Japan to complete his minor in Japanese studies and fulfill one of his passions of learning foreign languages and immersing himself in other cultures. Soon after, he pursued molecular biophysics research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he studied and engineered myosin protein molecular machines to enhance their innate cellular mechanical efficiency. He also performed nanofabrication work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), producing glass silicon dioxide substrates for fluorescence microscopy experiments probing single proteins at the nanometer level. Sandy later went on to graduate school at Yale University where he delved into computational protein design and the mechanics of single-actin proteins. 

Throughout his academic career, Sandy has won numerous awards and recognitions, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), the Gilman International Scholarship, and the NIH NHLBI post-baccalaureate Best Poster award. He currently works at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center as a Laboratory Scientist where he collaborates with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to help defend our nation from highly transmissible diseases of animals and livestock.

At Microbial BioSolutions, Sandy is the Chief Scientific and Technology Officer (CSTO). His role involves the development and articulation of a clear scientific vision for the company.

Co-Founder and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

Britt Hafner holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Marketing, and a Bachelor of Arts in Language (BA) in French from Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. Britt previously worked at Crystal IS, an Asahi Kasei Company located in Upstate New York that manufactures UVC LEDs, where he managed global marketing.  

Britt is an innovative marketer, who also works as a Director of Marketing and Communications for UV4Good, a humanitarian organization that offers innovative solutions to marginalized communities in need of clean drinking water which can be sourced from unconventional sources.

Britt loves traveling, playing guitar, painting, trying food from different cultures, and supporting his favorite soccer team, Manchester United (which is a much better team than Arsenal).