Who We Are
RTI was founded in 1994 by faculty from South Dakota State University, recognizing an unmet need to provide superior study outcomes in biologics based on good immunologic science and study designs while developing the talent of students and graduates of the university. In 2022, Clinvet, a Clinglobal group company, became a shareholder, and as of 2023, RTI LLC’s clinical research unit began doing business as Clinvet South Dakota (Clinvet SD). RTI LLC’s BSL2 microbiology laboratory became Rtilab, and its research and diagnostics teams continue to support the regional and international food, feed, environmental and animal health industries. The Rtilab Clinical Support Laboratory is equipped to handle assays and formats, including ELISA, serology, virus isolation, PCR, hematology and more. This lab also has extensive experience with multiple challenge models and challenge model development. The Rtilab Diagnostic Laboratory has had an ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation since 2014. This lab conducts multiple bacteriology and mycology assays and projects within several industry sectors.
DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY
- Customized Testing and Projects
- Microbial Challenge Testing
- Shelf-Life Testing
- Efficacy Testing
- MIC Testing and more
- Mycology
- Yeast & Mold Counts
- Yeast and Mold IDs
- Bacteriology
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Environmental Microbiology
- Seed Health Biologics
- Food Microbiology
- Pathogen Testing featuring the VIDAS 30
- Spoilage Organism Testing
- Methods: FDA-BAM, AOAC, USP, ISO, CMMEF, etc.
RESEARCH LABORATORY
- Development
- Antiviral assay
- Mechanism of action assay
- Anti mycotoxin assay
- Anti parasitic assay
- IgG and IgA ELISA assays
- PCR assay
- Immunology
- Serum Neutralization assay
- ELISA
- Flow Cytometry
- Lymphocyte proliferation assay
- Phenotypic and functional characterization of various immune cells
- Cell viability and cytotoxicity assays
- Virology
- Virus isolation
- Virus propagation
- Virus titration
- ICC/IHC
- Molecular identification
- Bacteriology
- CFUs
- IFA
- Characterization
- Spirochetes- Leptospira/Treponema
- Mycoplasma
Our Products
How We Work
Rtilab is part of the Clinglobal group, which provides a platform of support services and facilitates access to the technical expertise of other group companies. The Clinglobal group organizational model ensures scalability and economies of scale.
Despite its international reach, Rtilab continues to deliver its customer-focused and high-quality services to the local and regional markets.
Services
Diagnostics
Rtilab conducts routine and customized testing across several sectors and matrices, with additional areas of microbial challenge testing, shelf-life, efficacy, MICs, anaerobic culture, and more.
Mycology services include yeast and mold counts with identification.
The bacteriology group works for veterinary, industrial/commercial, and food microbiologic endpoints according to FDA-BAM, AOAC, USP, ISO, and CMMEF methods.
For inquiries, please contact us.
Food Safety
- Food Safety Testing - FDA- BAM, AOAC, ISO, CMMEF Methods
- Pathogen and spoilage organism detection
- Assay formats can manage several matrices, with outputs of positive/negative and enumeration (CFU/ml) for the following organisms:
- Bacillus cereus
- Campylobacter sp.
- Clostridium perfringens
- Coliforms
- Cronobacter sakazakii
- E. coli
- E. coli O157
- Enterobacteriaceae
- Lactobacillus sp.
- Listeria sp.
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Mold and Yeast
- Pseudomonas
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Streptococcus/Enterococcus
- Sulfite Reducers
- Total Aerobic Count
Milk Quality Tests
- Bedding Cultures
- Bulk Tank Cultures
- Coliform Counts
- Mastitis Cultures
- Milk Mycoplasma Cultures
- Sanitation Screen
- Standard Plate Counts
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Susceptibility Testing
Environmental and Air Quality Tests
- Media Fill Testing incubation and reading
- Media qualification
- Microbial enumeration
- Microbial IDs
- Plate incubation
Ethanol Microbial Tests
- Lactic Acid Bacterial Counts and IDs
- Yeast Counts
Animal Health & Veterinary Medicine
- Bacteria and Virus Testing in Health and Disease
- The preclinical and diagnostic laboratory groups are highly skilled and experienced in detecting, isolating, and identifying viral and bacterial organisms and pathogens across species and matrices such as nasal, fecal, milk, urine, blood, and a host of sample types. Assays are conducted to the highest quality standards and routinely meet ISO 17025, GCP, GLP, and other GDocP regulatory guidelines.
- Rtilab diagnostic services support Clinvet studies and help veterinarians or producers manage diseases in their animals.
- Examples of testing and client support are:
- Mastitis and udder health testing
- Milk Quality and food product testing
- Respiratory, urinary, skin, gastrointestinal, and other various systems affected by infectious diseases
Seed Health
- Bacteria and Virus Testing in Health and Disease
- Bacterial Cultures
- Fungal Cultures
- Nematodes
- Seed Biologics Shelf Life and Formulation Testing
- Seed Wash Testing
Aquaculture
- Aeromonas
- Heterotrophic Counts
- Probiotics
- Pseudomonas
- Shigella
- Vibrio
Specialized Projects
- Rtilab also conducts specialized services on instruments like the Vidas 30 and anaerobic chamber.
- Rtilab specialty projects offer a wealth of options, including but not limited to:
- Efficacy
- Susceptibility
- Agglutination
- Shelf Life
- Microbial challenge
- And, perhaps most importantly, custom design!
- If unsure how to proceed, the Rtilab team’s years of expertise can help develop an individualized diagnostic strategy that harmonizes with your requirements.
- Please contact us to discuss how we can assist you with your needs.
Bioanalytical and Research Assays
- Rtilab provides expertise, equipment, and in-house capability in a broad number of assays and formats, including:
- Assay Development and Validation
- - Immunofluorescence assays
- - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
- Virology
- - Virus isolation and identification
- - Virus propagation and maintenance
- Microbiology
- - Aerobic and anaerobic culturing
- - Isolation and identification
- - Propagation and maintenance
- - Agglutination
- - Kirby-Bauer susceptibility
- - Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) susceptibility testing
- Immunology
- - Flow cytometry
- - Cytokine analysis
- - Lymphocyte proliferation
- - Cytotoxicity/Cell viability
- Molecular Biology
- Hematology
- - Complete Blood Counts (CBCs)
- -Slide differentials
- Serology
- - Serum neutralization
Meet The Team
Chris Chase, DVM, PhD
Clinvet South Dakota CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER
He is a co-founder of RTI Labs and an emeritus professor at the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at South Dakota State University. His expertise in animal disease research allows him to integrate veterinary research with the practical aspects of clinical medicine to provide direction in assay and SOP development.
Sonja Van Holland, MT, ASCP
DIRECTOR: BIOLOGICS RESEARCH AND DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORIES
Sonja graduated from South Dakota State University with a double major in Microbiology and Clinical Laboratory Science and a minor in Chemistry. Since then, she has accumulated over 36 years of experience managing microbiology and diagnostic laboratories in human health, animal health, seed health and food safety. Sonja joined Rtilab in 2014 and has been a driving force behind shaping the laboratories and service offerings into what they are today. Sonja is the laboratory director and provides bacteriology expertise to the clinical team.
Kyle Larson
LABORATORY PRODUCTION MANAGER
Kyle studied Microbiology at South Dakota State University. He began his career in industry as an applied microbiologist, where he gained experience in ethanol manufacturing and quality systems across multiple industries with various goals. He brings experience in biotechnology research and development, product and technology commercialization, and manufacturing quality systems to the Rtilab team. As a member of the Rtilab leadership team, Kyle facilitates diagnostic throughput, provides technical support to the analytical staff, and organizes laboratory projects and support efforts provided to our clinical research partners.
Karim Abdelsalam, BVSc, MVSc, PhD
LEAD SENIOR SCIENTIST
Karim obtained his veterinary degree in Egypt and began his career as a teaching assistant in the Virology and Antiviral Immunology department at Zagazig University, Egypt, in 2010. He completed his pre-master courses in Egypt from 2013 to 2015. In 2016, he earned a master’s degree in biological sciences with a virology specialty from South Dakota State University. Karim joined RTI in 2017 and is responsible for leading or assisting colleagues with clinical research projects. He continued his studies at the same institution and received his PhD in veterinary microbiology in 2021, focusing on bovine virology and antiviral immunology.
