Rotam Inaugurates Ecotox Laboratory in Shanghai, China

Rotam CropSciences has further enhanced its research capability by opening an Ecotoxicology laboratory, based in Shanghai in the vicinity of the company’s manufacturing facility. The new laboratory enables the organisation’s expert research team to speed up and conduct high quality evaluation of its development products, and assess their impact on non-target aquatic and land-based organisms.

Along with Rotam’s existing Physico-Chemical laboratory, the new facility has advanced the organisation’s research and development capacity. With a floor space area of 3,900 square feet, it incorporates the required species specific testing laboratories for aquatic and terrestrial organisms, including the relevant scientific equipment and rearing facilities. The facility is manned by three expert study directors and a team of experienced personnel.

“This new laboratory is a significant step forward for the company,” says Dr Thomson, Study Director at Rotam and manager of the new Ecotox laboratory. “These types of facilities were once the preserve of R&D companies, but they also offer huge benefits in the development of off-patent chemistry too. That Rotam has taken this step is a mark of the huge level of re-investment the company is making, with around 10% of turnover being directed into research and new product development.”

Dr Thomson continues, “As well as increasing the R&D capability, having both the Ecotox and Physico-Chemical laboratories in-house and side-by-side delivers time and cost efficiencies. The Ecotox laboratory is a fantastic resource for pre-screening new products, as it provides immediate environmental feedback, helping to advance our capabilities in assessing different molecular combinations.”

Rotam is also proud to announce that following a stringent inspection process with German BfR GLP auditors, the new laboratory has recently received a top level accreditation. This is the only German certified facilities solely dedicated to the crop protection market to meet this standard in the country.

Dr Thomson notes that all of the company’s facilities follow the GLP guidelines to ensure the quality and integrity of the data collected. “This accreditation demonstrates that the work done in our laboratories in China is accepted worldwide by official regulatory authorities. It is the key to Rotam’s credibility and global status in growing our market position.”

Rotam has also applied for the Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals Certification by the Ministry of Agriculture in China (ICAMA) for the Ecotox laboratory. This will entail the facility undergoing a further audit during the next six months.