IMSL is a private limited company that was formed in October 1996 and employs 8 microbiologists. The company is located in purpose-built laboratories and offices 50 km west of London, near Fleet in Hampshire, UK and has a regional sales office in Potsdam, Germany. IMSL has a diverse customer-base from throughout the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East, USA and the Far East.
As the name implies, IMSL specialises in industrial applications mainly in the fields of product and production hygiene, preservation technology, treated articles and disinfection testing. IMSL has extensive experience in the analysis of a wide range of finished materials for antimicrobial activity (e.g. activity of fungicides and algicides in paint films, determination of the efficacy of materials intended to limit the growth of bacteria on their surface / within their matrix etc) and disinfectants (both in suspension and on hard surfaces). In contrast to most microbiology based companies, no standard food and water testing is undertaken.
IMSL is actively involved in the development of standardised test protocols both through internal developments and involvement with the International Biodeterioration Research Group (IBRG). In the latter instance, IMSL is the lead laboratory in the development of standardised methods for the assessment of the performance of algicides on painted surfaces, the determination of the antibacterial activity on the surface of polymeric materials (in collaboration with the SIAA in Japan) and textiles. These activities are all progressed through the use of international collaborative ring tests and meetings (IMSL has hosted 3 such meetings in the past 10 years; one in the UK and two in Germany). IMSL also makes regular presentations at international scientific and technical meetings and contributes to the technical literature in relevant areas.