The Plant Metabolism Testing Services You Need
We collaborate with clients to conduct studies which meet agreed data requirements considering the properties, chemistry, and uses of plant protection products and potential routes of dietary exposure. Comprehensive plant metabolism testing services are available to estimate total residues, identify the major residue components, and elucidate the metabolic pathway. Rotational crop studies quantify and identify residues which are taken up from soil into crops that are at a series of intervals.
Plant and Crop Metabolism Expertise
Charles River provides plant metabolism testing services with radiolabeled test items at our sites in the UK and Spain. Facilities include dedicated areas of arable land with an agricultural provenance which are dedicated to outdoor studies, together with more than 30 environmentally controlled research glasshouses.
Our plant metabolism testing services cover the full range of major crops grown globally including cereals and oilseeds, leafy and fruiting vegetables, root crops, legumes, and more. We also perform crop metabolism studies on species that are less common and can be difficult to source or grow such as sugarcane, banana, and model species for pollinator studies.
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Analytical Capability for Plant Metabolism Testing Services
A radiolabeled test item is incorporated into a proposed commercial formulation and applied according to the intended use pattern and application method. Specialist application techniques are available. Interim harvest intervals can be included to generate information on the metabolic pathway and changes in residue levels with crop development. The quantitative and qualitative determination of parent test items and metabolites in radiolabeled studies is primarily undertaken using radio-HPLC with low-level counting techniques. Confirmatory analysis is undertaken with high resolution LC-MS or in a second contrasting chromatographic system. A variety of high-resolution LC-MS instrumentation and techniques are available in-house for the identification of unknown components.
Keeping Your Metabolism Studies Moving
When you partner with us for plant metabolism testing services, our specialists can provide additional support whether for a standalone study or part of a bigger package. This can include scientific and/or regulatory support throughout the process – from design to report and beyond.
Studies can be holistically designed to anticipate future needs for analytical residue methods and feeding studies. From developing MS-compatible extraction methods, ensuring sufficient material for extraction efficiency studies, to ensuring that isomers are evaluated, our Study Directors and Scientific Advisors think beyond the individual study to the whole regulatory program.
Plant metabolism testing services can include the following designs:
- Plant metabolism
- Rotational crop metabolism
- Post-harvest metabolism
- Extraction efficiency / radio-validation
- In vitro models
- Translocation investigations
- Transfer into pollen
- Processing and stability