USask begins research on insects in new facility

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) will house the first insect research facility with quarantine capabilities in a western Canadian university.

The Saskatchewan Insect Research Facility (USIRF), located in the Agriculture Building on the USask Saskatoon campus, is a 500-square-foot site meets Canadian Food Inspection Agency Plant Protection Containment Level-2A requirements, allowing researchers to study non-native insects and pathogens that pose a potential threat to western Canadian crops.

USask vice-president of research Dr. Baljit Singh said USIRF places the university in a unique position among research institutions in Canada.

“This facility, and the research it will lend itself to, is another example of how USask is leading in the areas of food security and agriculture. We are tackling important questions that will ultimately have an impact and better our communities,” he said.