What LITE (Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment) iiDiagnostics does

LITE (Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment) is a GLP-compliant contract research organisation embedded within the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and operating as part of iiDiagnostics, an LSTM spinout company. The facility provides fee-for-service laboratory testing of insecticide-based vector control products for commercial and academic partners, including insecticide manufacturers, net producers, public health product companies, and universities. LITE maintains a large repository of fully characterised mosquito colonies across Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex genera with documented resistance genotypes and phenotypes, and conducts testing using WHO and CDC standardised methods alongside proprietary assays. Projects are scoped individually with bespoke study plans, agreed deliverables, and full raw data plus project reports provided on completion.

LITE's core technology spans biological assays (WHO tube, WHO cone, CDC bottle, topical, and proprietary tarsal contact bioassays), behavioural quantification (Video Cone Test System and Baited Box Video Test), chemical analysis (HPLC-based insecticide quantification, including a novel miniaturised high-throughput HPLC system undergoing CIPAC validation), and molecular resistance profiling (real-time qPCR, kdr mutation screening, recombinant CYP450 panel for in vitro metabolic profiling). Infrastructure includes five temperature- and humidity-controlled insectaries, three large free flight rooms (30-36 m²), wind tunnel, Peet Grady chambers, track sprayer, and Potter tower, all operating under UK GLP compliance monitoring.

LITE generates revenue on a project-by-project professional services basis, with engagement driven through direct client contact, institutional partnerships (notably IVCC), and LSTM's global research network. All facilities are part of the UK GLP compliance monitoring programme under the MHRA, and the facility is physically housed within the £25m Liverpool Life Sciences Accelerator building. The company has approximately 8 employees and serves a global client base across Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Name

LITE (Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment) iiDiagnostics

Legal name

LITE (Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment)

Website

https://lite.lstmed.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LITE is a GLP-compliant contract research organisation within LSTM, providing fee-for-service laboratory testing of insecticide-based mosquito vector control products for commercial and academic partners globally, using characterised mosquito colonies and WHO/CDC standardised assays.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Research Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Mosquito & Tick Control (IMAIAHAI)

Keywords

• Contract research services
• Insecticide bioassay testing
• Vector control testing
• GLP-compliant laboratory testing
• Mosquito resistance profiling

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contract research and testing services: LITE operates as a contract research organisation (CRO) providing fee-for-service testing of insecticide-based products. Projects are scoped individually with a detailed study plan submitted to the client, timescales and deliverables agreed, and raw data sets and project reports provided on completion. Revenue is generated on a project-by-project basis for commercial and academic clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LITE is a GLP-compliant contract research organisation providing mosquito insecticide testing services for commercial and academic partners. The facility maintains characterised mosquito colonies and delivers standardised biological assays, behavioural video assays, net durability studies, larvicide evaluations, resistance profiling, and HPLC-based analytical quantification of active ingredients. All projects are scoped individually with bespoke study plans, agreed deliverables, and full raw data reporting.

Product overview

LITE (Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment) is a dedicated mosquito vector testing facility offering a comprehensive portfolio of insecticide testing services for commercial and academic partners. The facility operates a single integrated service model combining biological assay testing, chemical analysis, and mosquito colony maintenance. Core services include standardized WHO and CDC bioassays (tube, cone, bottle, topical, tarsal), behavioral evaluation using video equipment, net durability testing (wash resistance and regeneration), larvicide evaluation, resistance profiling and genotyping, and HPLC-based analytical quantification. LITE maintains multiple characterized mosquito colonies (susceptible and resistant strains) representing key disease-carrying species. All testing is conducted under UK Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards. The facility is part of iiDiagnostics, an LSTM subsidiary, and collaborates with IVCC and industry partners to accelerate vector control product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Topical Bioassay Direct application of active ingredient droplets onto mosquito thorax to measure intrinsic insecticidal activity without confounding behavioural effects. For commercial and academic partners developing insecticide-based products.
• Tarsal Bioassay on Glass Plates Exposure of mosquitoes to glass dishes coated with insecticide to assess contact-mediated uptake through the tarsi (legs), simulating real-world bed net and IRS exposure routes. For commercial and academic partners.
• CDC Bottle Bioassay Assessment of adult mosquito susceptibility to active ingredients using glass bottles coated with specific insecticide doses, with knockdown and mortality recording. For commercial and academic partners.
• WHO Tube Bioassay Standardised susceptibility testing of adult mosquitoes to discriminating doses of insecticide using plastic tubes lined with insecticide-impregnated filter paper. For commercial and academic partners.
• WHO Cone Bioassay Assessment of insecticide-treated net and surface efficacy by mounting plastic cones over treated substrates and measuring knockdown and mortality. For commercial and academic partners.
• Evaluation of Mosquito Behaviour Using Video Equipment Quantitative behavioural assays using Video Cone Test System (ViCTS) and Baited Box Video Test (BBVT) to capture detailed mosquito responses to chemical exposure. For commercial and academic partners designing vector control products.
• Net Regeneration Studies Quality control assessment measuring the time required for insecticide to migrate back to the net surface after washing, determining regeneration intervals. For ITN manufacturers and quality assurance clients.
• Net Wash Resistance Studies Durability assessment of long-lasting insecticide nets through repeated washing cycles followed by cone bioassay efficacy testing. For ITN manufacturers and quality assurance clients.
• Analytical Quantification of Active Ingredients Using HPLC High-performance liquid chromatography for quantifying insecticide content in vector control products including ITNs, IRS formulations, and ATSBs, featuring a novel miniaturised high-throughput approach. For commercial and academic partners.
• Track Sprayer Treatment of large surfaces (ceramic, concrete, brick, mud, filter papers) with accurate insecticide concentrations for indoor residual spraying assessment. For commercial and academic partners.
• Arm in Cage Test Human volunteer-based repellent testing involving topical repellent application and mosquito landing count measurement for protection time determination. For commercial partners developing topical repellents.
• Peet Grady Chambers Custom-built spatial insecticide chambers for testing volatile compounds including aerosol sprays, mosquito coils, vaporizing mats, and spatial emanators. For commercial and academic partners.
• Free Flight Rooms Large (30-36 m2) environmentally controlled chambers for testing mosquito traps and lures where mosquitoes fly freely in adjustable temperature, humidity, and lighting conditions. For commercial and academic partners.
• Evaluation of Larvicides Larval bioassays exposing mosquito larvae to water-treated larvicides to evaluate biological activity including mortality and inhibition of adult emergence. For commercial and academic partners.
• Mosquito Resistance Profiling and Genotyping Resistance profiling using WHO and CDC guidelines, PBO synergism assays, kdr mutation identification, and genome investigations for Anopheles gambiae complex species determination. For commercial and academic partners.
• Mosquito Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Screening In vitro profiling service using recombinant mosquito CYPs (CYP6M2, CYP6P2, CYP6P3, CYP6P4, CYP6P5, CYP9J5, CYP6P9a) implicated in resistance for assessing insecticide metabolism, metabolic resistance liabilities, and pro-insecticide activation. For commercial and academic partners.
• Mosquito Colony Repository Repository of fully characterised insecticide susceptible and resistant mosquito colonies including Anopheles (Kisumu, Tiassalé, VK7, Tiefora, Fang, FUMOZ, Gaoua-ARA), Aedes (Cayman), and Culex for laboratory testing. For commercial and academic partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• The miniaturised HPLC system can quantify two active ingredients simultaneously with reduced run times compared to standard CIPAC methods
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IVCC (International Vector Control Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLITE works with IVCC to speed up the development and delivery of new or improved vector control products. IVCC is a global partnership focused on developing new tools to combat vector-borne diseases and is a key strategic partner for LITE's mission.
• WHO (World Health Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLITE conducts testing using WHO guidelines and standardised methods including WHO tube bioassay, WHO cone bioassay, and other WHO-recommended procedures. Many references to WHOPES guidelines and WHO SOPs are used throughout LITE's testing protocols.
• CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLITE conducts CDC bottle bioassays following CDC guidelines for insecticide susceptibility testing. CDC bottle assay protocols are referenced as standard methods used in LITE's testing services.
• CIPAC (Collaborative International Pesticides Analytical Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLITE uses CIPAC-approved procedures for insecticide quantification in treated nets. The novel miniaturised HPLC system is undergoing CIPAC validation. CIPAC methods are referenced for analytical QC of ITNs.
• MR4 (Malaria Research and Reference Reagent Resource)minorOthersLITE obtained the Kisumu Anopheles gambiae colony from MR4 in 2007. MR4 provides standardised mosquito and parasite reagents to the malaria research community.
• LSTM Vector Biology DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLITE maintains close links to the Vector Biology department at LSTM. When new mutations or resistance mechanisms are identified, LITE screens its colonies for these new markers. The department provides expert scientific support to LITE's testing operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company with agricultural and life-sciences testing lines. Operates a similar fee-for-service testing model to LITE and serves many of the same global-health and crop-protection end customers, but does not run insectaries or mosquito-specific bioassays.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global testing services group with agricultural and environmental testing capabilities including pesticide residue/analytical chemistry. Closest scaled commercial peer to LITE's HPLC-based analytical quantification service, though Eurofins is far broader and not specialised in vector entomology.
• Charles River Laboratories: Large preclinical CRO offering regulated safety, toxicology, and laboratory testing services globally. Represents the scaled-CRO model to which LITE's GLP bioassay capability is adjacent, although Charles River does not specialise in mosquito entomology.
• Bayer Crop Science (Vector Control R&D): Multinational crop science and public-health insecticide manufacturer that supplies resistant mosquito strains (e.g., FUMOZ) to LITE and runs internal testing capacity. Comparable in that it is both a buyer of LITE's services and a competitor with in-house testing capability.

Regional players

• Ifakara Health Institute: Tanzanian research organisation with active vector biology and insecticide testing programmes. Comparable in service mix to LITE but Africa-focused and not GLP-accredited for product registration studies.
• KEMRI (Kenya Medical Research Institute): Hosts the Centre for Global Health Research with mosquito insectaries and conducts insecticide efficacy and resistance studies in East Africa. Comparable in scientific scope to LITE but primarily government-funded and regionally focused rather than GLP-commercial.

Emerging players

• Oxitec: Vector-control company developing genetically modified mosquitoes for population suppression. Adjacent to LITE's mission of reducing vector-borne disease but competes on technology platforms (genetic biocontrol) rather than testing services; both ultimately serve Aedes control programmes in endemic geographies.

Others

• Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC): Product Development Partnership funded primarily by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate new vector control tools. LITE is a core partner of IVCC; both share the same end customers (ITN manufacturers, IRS formulators) and influence which assays become industry standard.
• INFRAVEC2: European research infrastructure network providing shared access to insectaries, mosquito colonies, and testing facilities for vector research. Functionally an alternative supplier of testing capacity to LITE for academic clients across Europe.

Direct peers

• CREC / CRID (Centre de Recherche Entomologique de Cotonou): West African entomological research centre operating mosquito insectaries and conducting insecticide resistance monitoring and bioassays. Most direct operational peer to LITE in the vector testing CRO space, although operating in a different regulatory jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lite-iidiagnostics

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LITE (Liverpool Insect Testing Establishment) iiDiagnostics