In 2004, NLS Innovation made it possible for the Environment Agency to begin eradicating one of the most serious threats to our native fish communities - the topmouth gudgeon.

The protocol we developed is now routinely used in eradication programmes for non-native fish species. So far it has helped save seven inshore fisheries from almost certain disaster.

The NLS first began working on what we call Microbial Source Tracking (MST) in 2003, as part of a large European project on bathing waters. Working with scientists and environment analysts from all over the world, they devised a method that gives reliable information about the source of pollution, based on genetic sequences unique to particular animal groups. In 2007 we offered the MST service to customers for the first time.

Veterinary medicines are widely used to treat disease and protect animal health. One class of veterinary medicines are the Avermectins and moxidectin, which belong to a group of compounds that are highly toxic to aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates at low concentrations in water. NLS Innovation has developed a multi-residue method for the quantitative determination of veterinary medicines in the environment.