Charles H. Wick is a retired lieutenant colonel and senior scientist from the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. He earned his PhD from the University of Washington. Dr. Wick is best known for work in forensic science done in concert with the Department of Defense. Dr. Wick’s research work has resulted in international recognition as an authority on individual performance for operations conducted on a nuclear, biological, and chemical battlefield. He has made lasting and important contributions to forensic science and antiterrorism and holds several U.S. patents in the area of microbe detection and classification. He has written more than 45 civilian and military publications and has received various awards and citations.
While this volume superficially resembles a textbook, it is a promotional tool and instructional handbook for the use of a privately-patented device, the integrated virus detection system, which promises to use centrifuging and electrospray-differential mobility analysis to quickly detect viruses and virus-like particles in laboratory settings. The author, whose connection to the patents is unclear, is a retired physical scientist who specialized in biological and chemical warfare for the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense. The vast majority of the text is highly technical. It documents various aspects of the device and the tests run on its ability to detect viruses of various types and other particles. Two final chapters look at experiments with viruses in honeybees, and pulsed-lamp decontamination as measured by the device. There are many black and white charts and tables throughout the book. -Ringgold, Inc. Book News, February 2015