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Case Study

Intelligent Growth Solutions KTP 2 + The James Hutton Institute

Vertical take-off for farming tech

Learn how plant-microbe control in vertical farming reduces waste and ensures food safety.

IGS vertical farming technology

Awards and Achievements

KTP Final Grade: B ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The project was awarded the grade of "Very Good" by the KTP Grading Panel for its achievement in meeting KTP's objectives

The contribution of irrigation water and growth substrate for microbial flux in a vertical farm 📖

Letters in Applied Microbiology, Volume 78, Issue 7, July 2025
Find out more about The contribution of irrigation water and growth substrate for microbial flux in a vertical farm 📖

Intelligent Growth Solutions KTP 2

IGS was founded in 2013 to make vertical farming commercially viable at scale by combining automation, smart LED lighting and power management in a modular unit for the first time.

IGS logo

The James Hutton Institute

The James Hutton Institute is a world-leading independent scientific research organisation based in Scotland but working in collaboration across the globe.

Its pioneering science innovates and finds solutions for the challenges posed by the climate and nature crises on the sustainability and resilience of our crops, land, natural resources and communities through the development of transformative tools, interventions, products and land management practices.

What was the need?

The Challenge

Following their first KTP, this partnership aimed to develop the capacity to control plant-microbe interactions within IGS novel growth system to optimise crop production by reducing waste through spoilage whilst generating a risk framework for ensuring future food safety compliance 

 

Trials around the use of light, temperature and humidity to produce consistent high quality products, highlighted a key gap in knowledge surrounding pathogens and microbes and the effect they have on these growing systems, their impact on food safety and how they can be best managed. There is a specific expertise in microbe management needed especially relevant to food safety and to crop protection and food spoilage. 

IGS recognises that microbe management should be an integral part of Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA) in its systems. Whilst TCEA can eliminate variations within this environment, it does not address the impact of microbe management on the produce being grown and the effect it could have on food quality in terms of safety or spoilage. This was a challenge for both the Company and Industry Sector. 

 

The key challenge was the need to demonstrate to customers that IGS system can be used to grow crops safely that are fit for human consumption. 

What did we do?

The Solution

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership project team generated a risk register which prompted the essential design and assembly of two scale models by IGS, an irrigation system and a Growth Chamber. Data was collected and knowledge transfer enabled IGS to make process and scientifically informed design decisions, and to lead technical discussions with customers on food safety and crop quality. 

This KTP also highlighted areas of improvement in farm procedures such as a cleaning protocol for the irrigations system, enhanced biosecurity for high protection trials and integrated pest management. The risk register translated into a web app prototype which can be embedded into customer questionnaires, websites and promotional tools to raise awareness of microbial and consequently food safety considerations. 

The People

Meet the Team

Dr Nicola Holden

Dr Nicola Holden

Dr Holden’s research focus is in plant-microbe interactions, in particular, investigation of how microbes adapt to the plant
environment. The work addresses fundamental questions about plant-microbe interactions within the context of crop safety
and crop protection, with the aim of reducing the incidence of harmful microbes on plants.

Dr Holden is now a Professor in Food Safety at Scotland's Rural College. 

Dr Elliot Erskine

Dr Elliot Erskine

NHS Cancer Information Senior Analyst

Dr Elliot Erskine was the KTP Associate for this project. They have a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Dundee and after the KTP finished, were employed by IGS as Senior Scientist which included further development of the risk-based modelling developed through this KTP. 

Dr Erskine is now a Cancer Information Senior Analyst with the NHS. 

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