Leroy Mickelsen

Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park Foundation

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About

Leroy Mickelsen is a leading researcher in environmental biosecurity and biological contamination detection, with a focus on developing practical, scalable methods for sampling and decontaminating surfaces exposed to pathogenic spores. His most cited work, "Comparison of surface sampling methods for an extended duration outdoor biological contamination study" (2020, 17 citations), provides critical insights into the durability and recovery of biological agents on outdoor surfaces over time—a key concern for biodefense and public health preparedness. Mickelsen is best known for pioneering the evaluation of commercially available cleaning robots for collecting *Bacillus* spores from indoor environments. In two landmark studies (2013, 11 citations; 2014, 2 citations), he systematically tested five different robot types—including vacuum, wet-wipe, and wet-vacuum models—for their ability to sample aerosol-deposited *Bacillus atrophaeus* spores on various materials. His work demonstrated that wetted-wipe robots could effectively sample large contaminated areas, offering a safer, more efficient alternative to manual sampling. By bridging robotics and microbiology, Mickelsen’s contributions have advanced field-deployable strategies for environmental monitoring and response, making him a key figure in applied biosecurity research.