The ISH Research Lab opened in 2009 and is a 600 m2 LEED Gold building with 6 different air pressure zones to minimize cross-contamination. Our research facilities include a commercial production "incubator". The incubator consists of two separate areas, one for production of beneficial fungi, and the other for insect baculoviruses.
Both production areas consist of 4 purpose-built rooms; an inoculation room, two production rooms and a harvest room. Each room is climate controlled, with filtered air supplies, variable air changes, sterilizable surfaces, and specific equipment for production and harvest of beneficial fungi (spinner fermentation flasks up to 36 L, mobile production racks, myco-harvester) or viruses (insect production racks, trays, centrifuge, large capacity blender).
For fungal entomopathogens and Trichoderma we have the capacity for both liquid (blastospore) and solid state (spore) production on a scale that would allow market entry, for both types of fungal product. Our insect baculovirus production capacity is similarly scaled.
We are developing native strains of fungal entomopathogens and Trichoderma. With industry partners we are working toward Health Canada registration of a wider range of beneficial fungi for the benefit of agriculture and landscape sustainability.
