SOLASTA® Bio, specialising in the next generation of green insecticides, has relocated to purpose-built facilities at the West of Scotland Science Park, marking a major milestone in the company’s growth journey since 2021.
The move from the University of Glasgow campus to the Helix Building at Kelvin Campus provides SOLASTA® Bio with its first dedicated standalone facility, occupying more than 4,000 square feet of custom-fitted laboratory and office space. The new premises house specialised facilities for R&D, including a dedicated insectary, plant and tissue culture rooms, as well as expanded office space and collaborative working areas for the company’s growing 26-person team.
Originally a University of Glasgow spinout in 2021, the company has evolved from an early-stage research company into a commercially-focused biotech business. Since securing an oversubscribed $14 million Series A funding round in September 2024, the company has achieved significant technical and regulatory milestones, including its first patent grants and a favourable biochemical-like classification from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its lead peptide candidates.
The enhanced facilities will enable SOLASTA® Bio to accelerate its research and development programmes as it advances toward market entry with its nature-inspired peptide-based bioinsecticides. These environmentally friendly crop protection products target harmful pests while safeguarding crucial pollinators such as bees.
CEO of SOLASTA® Bio, Shireen Davies, said: “Moving into our own dedicated facility is a defining moment for SOLASTA® Bio. This space gives us the capacity and capability to advance our R&D programmes and scale our operations as we progress toward commercialisation. Having left our original home at the University of Glasgow, we now have a place that truly reflects our ambition and the significant growth we’ve achieved in just four years. The West of Scotland Science Park provides an ideal environment for an innovative biotech company like ours to continue growing.”
Scottish Enterprise recently supported the company with a £190k grant towards the fit-out and capital costs of the new premises that have been adapted from office space within the West of Scotland Science Park to provide suitable lab facilities.
