Insect Research & Development Limited

Insect Research & Development Limited (IRD) is a contract research company specialising in investigations of methods for controlling insects and other arthropods of public health significance. The activities of the company are mainly divided between laboratory bioassay work to establish baseline activity of products at various stages of the development process and clinical and field investigations. In addition IRD works closely with its partner company EctoMedica Limited, which is a specialist formulation and new product development business focussing on bespoke and novel product concepts within the spheres of biocidal and medical device product creation. IRD has extensive experience of evaluating products since its foundation as Medical Entomology Centre (MEC) in 1984. During that time we have screened most of the leading products used as topically applied treatments for control of head louse and flea infestations and have also developed a series of novel techniques for measuring the effectiveness of products and materials designed to manage house dust mites and their allergens, bed bugs and other household pests, and evaluation of insect repellents. Through MEC, the company has been at the forefront of protocol design and implementation of good clinical practices in the conduct of clinical investigations of head louse treatments. Other activities of the business include identification of animal derived foreign bodies (not just insects) found in consumer goods on behalf of leading companies involved in household product marketing a food safety; specialist and bespoke training on public health pests and personal parasites; and personal injury and forensic expert witness work involving interactions between humans and arthropods.