{"id":113488,"date":"2026-05-19T17:53:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greyb.com\/?p=113488"},"modified":"2026-05-28T13:52:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T08:22:06","slug":"nucleic-sensing-systems-scouted-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greyb.com\/blog\/nucleic-sensing-systems-scouted-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"This Startup Brings Lab-grade DNA testing to Drinking Water Treatment Plants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most water monitoring facilities still rely on weekly or biweekly lab sampling. This method cannot detect a harmful algal bloom until it has already reached intake points. The US EPA<\/a> identifies algal toxin removal as one of the most cost-escalating operational challenges for drinking water treatment. Studies of affected utilities document measurable spikes in labor, chemical spending, and cartridge-filtration costs during bloom events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aquaculture faces a similar problem to that of water treatment facilities: long testing timelines and delayed results. Disease outbreaks can spread faster than lab testing can be completed. Globally, disease-related aquaculture losses have been estimated to exceed $6 billion annually, with parasite-related losses alone estimated between about $1.05 billion and $9.58 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NS2<\/a> or Nucleic Sensing Systems solves this by bringing droplet digital PCR-style testing out of the lab and into the field. Instead of taking a water sample, shipping it to a lab, and waiting days or weeks, NS2 delivers quantitative results within about an hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To better understand how they are doing it, we spoke to Ed Rudberg<\/a>, CEO of Nucleic Sensing Systems. This article contains notable highlights from our entire conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This interview is part of our exclusive Scouted By GreyB series. Here, we speak with the founders of innovative startups to understand how their solutions address critical industry challenges and help ensure compliance with industry and government regulations. <\/em>(Know more about startups scouted by GreyB!)<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

Also Read:<\/h4>
\"Green<\/div>
The solution to toxic algae was hiding in a steel mill and this startup found it!<\/a><\/div>Read Post <\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div>
\"IonIQs<\/div>
This startup fetches 99% of valuable lithium from polluted wastewater!<\/a><\/div>Read Post <\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cThere is nothing better than having good, smart people around you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Ed Rudberg
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\"Ed<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Dr. Edgar (Ed) Rudberg<\/a> has brought multiple companies from product ideation to profitability. He holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources Science and Management and a Master’s in Marine Affairs and Policy. He also serves as CEO of CD\u00b3, a General Benefit Corporation and NS\u00b2’s parent company, which manufactures decontamination infrastructure for boat ramps. This role organically led him toward the biological sensing challenge NS\u00b2 was built to solve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under his leadership, NS\u00b2 earned the Midwest regional win at the Cleantech Open and reached the national finals. Rudberg has been instrumental in securing SBIR grant funding for NS\u00b2 and making the university’s research technology a market-ready platform.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

NS2 turns water into real-time biological data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NS2, or Nucleic Sensing Systems, helps drinking water utilities and aquaculture farms detect and quantify organisms in water without waiting for a traditional lab workflow. Instead of treating water testing as a slow, periodic process, the company wants to make it continuous, automated, and fast enough to support operational decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The system takes inspiration from droplet digital PCR, a gold-standard human diagnostic technology. NS2 has adapted that capability into a box that can be deployed outside the lab, removing the need for a trained human operator at every step. Its flagship product, the Tracker, has achieved field deployments in federal hatcheries and secured government sales.<\/p>\n\n\n

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