For years, Quantics has applied its industry-leading statistical consultancy expertise to the world of agriculture. We’ve performed analyses for projects ranging from the development of new treatments for livestock disease to optimising animal feeds and testing GMO crops for toxicity. Our team’s diverse knowledge base and in-depth experience means we are uniquely placed to take on any challenge which crosses our desk.

We also have a strong background in statistical consultancy for ecotoxicology, and are accredited as a GLP test facility in the UK by the MHRA.

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I just wanted to send a brief note to thank you for everything you did to help us with this regulatory response. Your excellent communication with us, timely provision of draft output tables, and a very high quality draft report that required only minimal input were key to our success. This was indeed a challenge to deliver under such a tight timeline, and you even managed to deliver ahead of schedule. We really appreciate your collaboration with us and your outstanding contribution to this team effort – thank you!!

Kevin LeinerSyngenta

Food

Quantics regularly participates in a wide range of statistical consultancy projects looking at the food we eat, from studies looking at the toxicity of artificial sweeteners in baking to performing a meta-analysis which showed the benefits of probiotic fermented milk (Eales et al., 2017).

We work closely with regulatory bodies including the FDA and MHRA to ensure strict adherence to the latest guidance.

Project Highlight

Quantics was involved in analysing data from a study which examined the toxicity of GMO maize in rats. This was a re-examination of data study to determine whether the proportion of the transgenic maize in the rats’ diet affected the toxicity of that diet. To do this, results for treatment
groups receiving 10% GMO maize and 41.5% GMO maize were compared with control groups receiving 10% and 41.5% non-GMO maize respectively. In the previous study, there was no separation of treatment and control groups based on the proportion of maize in the diet.

The effect of the different diets was assessed by measuring endpoints ranging from body and organ weight to motor function. Results ranged across the different endpoints, with, for example, the 10% GMO maize group having gained more weight at the 36-day mark, but with the 41.5% GMO maize group exhibiting reduced x and y motor skills 31-35 minutes after eating.

Find out more about our Biostatistics services

Statistical Consultancy for Agriculture: Maize

I would like to thank you again for the great work you did for this SR & meta-analysis. This is a great achievement for Danone to get this work published in a good journal of gastroenterology

Denis GuyonnetDanone

Feed

Alongside our work helping to enhance human diets, we have been involved in studies of livestock feed such as supplement testing and diet optimisation.

Statistical consultancy for agriculture: Turkey

Project Highlight

Quantics provided statistical consultancy for a study which assessed the effect of three different diets on the feed conversion ratio of turkeys. This was measured by comparing the total feed intake of a pen of turkeys to the total body weight increase of all the turkeys in the pen, which was recorded at 21 and 42 days of the study.

As well as analysing the effect of the diets on their own, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine whether there was any difference in feed conversion rate between male and female turkeys. The study concluded that the second of the three treatments showed higher feed conversion rates than the other diets studied, while the ANOVA determined that there was no significant effect due to turkey gender on the results.

Farm

With more than 20 years of of statistical consultancy behind us, we have extensive experience of bioassay, as well as clinical study design and analysis, which includes a vast array of veterinary studies.

Project Highlight

Quantics analysed data from a challenge study which aimed to confirm the dose of an anti-worming treatment in sheep. The study assessed whether the treatment was effective after 7 and 14 days post-administration by performing counts of lung and gastrointestinal worms at necropsy. This was performed successfully in spite of numerical convergence issues in certain calculations due to all subjects in the treatment groups returning zero worm counts for certain species at both day 7 and 14.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, therefore, the analysis indicated that the treatment was effective at reducing worm count in sheep within 14 days.

Statistical Consultancy for Agriculture: Pig

Project Highlight

Quantics was involved in the statistical analysis behind the validation of an in vitro potency assay for the immunogenic H3 fraction of a recently developed porcine swine flu vaccine. This involved calculation of estimates and confidence intervals for relative potency, assay accuracy, and assay precision, as well as testing for parallelism, discrimination, and sample ruggedness.

Find out more about our Bioassay services

We are very happy with the work that Quantics has provided. The team have been professional, insightful, punctual, and have given us invaluable guidance. Quantics have been more than willing to take the time to explain difficult concepts
to our clients and answer complex questions. We will certainly look forward to continuing our partnership with Quantics!

Kelly SeamansAtlantia Clinical Food Trials

Ecotoxicology

The environment is at the heart of all our ecotoxicology studies at Quantics. We are an MHRA accredited GLP test facilty, meaning we provide high quality statistics adhering strictly to OECD guidelines.

Project Highlight

Quantics performed a re-analysis on a historical ecotoxicology study using Daphnia Magna reproduction data to update the results to new guidelines. The analysis was conducted according to the OECD guidelines for a 21-day D.Magna reproduction test, and examined both the survival of parents and the number of dead and live offspring produced over the course of the study. This was used to estimate the no effect observed concentration (NOEC), as well as the EC10 and EC20 of the test substance.

OECD Ecotoxicology guidance links

OECD ref Title Latest guidance Link to guidance
201 Algal growth inhibition 2011 201 guidance
202 Daphnia acute immobilisation 2004 202 guidance
203 Fish acute toxicity 1992 203 guidance
207 Earthworm acute toxicity 1984 207 guidance
208 Seedling Emergence and Seedling Growth 2006 208 guidance
209 Activated sludge Respiration inhibition 2010 209 guidance
210 Fish Early life stage toxicity 2013 210 guidance
211 Daphnia reproduction 2012 211 guidance
212 Acute Fish Embryo 1998 212 guidance
213 Acute Honey bee 1998 213 guidance
214 Acute Honeybee (Contact) 1998 214 guidance
215 Juvenile Fish Growth 2000 215 guidance
216 Soil Nitrogen Transformation 2000 216 guidance
217 Soil Carbon Transformation 2000 217 guidance
218 Sediment Chironomid toxicity 2004 218 guidance
219 Water Chironmid toxicity 2004 219 guidance
221 Lemna growth inhibition 2006 221 guidance
222 Earthworm reproduction 2004 222 guidance
225 Sediment water Lumbriculus 2007 225 guidance
228 Determination of Developmental 2016 228 guidance
232 Collembolan Reproduction 2009 232 guidance
235 Chironomus sp 2011 235 guidance
238 Sediment-Free Myriophyllum Spicatum 2014 238 guidance
239 Water-Sediment Myriophyllum Spicatum 2014 239 guidance
305 Bioaccumulation in fish* 2012 305 guidance

* More complex analysis available through Quantics but a longer timelines is normally required.

OECD have suggested phasing out estimation NOEC/LOEC

Read our EFSA guidance discussion