Dr. Emilia Rico is a native of Spain. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Technology and Science with emphasis in food microbiology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. She has been trained in food mycology by world leading food mycologists. She is the founder, owner, and CEO of BCN Research Laboratories, Inc. in Rockford, TN. She is well known for her expertise in food and beverage spoilage investigation and prevention as well as for expertise in food safety and sanitation. Since 2003, Dr. Emilia Rico has been an active member of the prestigious 20-member International Commission on Food Mycology (ICFM). ). She has co-authored two chapters in the 5^th edition of the Compendium of Methods for the Microbiological Examination of Foods (CMMEF, 2015, APHA) ON Heat-resistant Molds and Pet Foods, and has published numerous papers on food and beverage fungal spoilage and methodology.

Ralph Ciotti has been an acknowledged leader in the field of high purity gas analysis for over 20 years and currently serves as a subject matter expert to established professional organizations such as ASTM, CGA, ISBT, and ISO.  As the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Atlantic Analytical Laboratory his primary goal is to ensure current customer satisfaction while also finding new customers and business applications where analytical services can prove beneficial.