AIM share code: SKIN

30 March 2020

Integumen PLC

("Integumen" or "Company")

Immediate production of bacteria to detect water contamination amid COVID-19 public health crisis

Integumen confirm c£2m confirmed orders in Q1, 2020 and invests £250,000 to ramp-up production

Integumen announces that due to the global COVID-19 public health crisis, and in order to meet back-orders and growing demand for water contamination detection bacteria from existing customers across Spain, Italy and China, production of Modern Water's monitoring bacteria reagent has commenced this week, six weeks ahead of the originally planned production date.

Further to previous notifications, enlargement of Integumen's laboratories and fit-out has commenced with the ordering of the new laboratory equipment. The bacteria is used in fixed and portable monitoring equipment, designed and manufactured by Modern Water plc to identify contamination in wastewater outlets from residential, hospital and municipal sewage treatment outflows that may contribute to the current public health crisis.

In addition to the c£2m of confirmed orders so far in Q1, 2020 for delivery in the current financial year, Integumen is investing £250,000, as announced in the RNS of 18 March  2020, to rapidly expand the Company's laboratories by 100% to 6,000 square feet in order to maintain the growth of Labskin and accelerate production of bacteria that is used by a range of monitoring equipment for the detection of up to 2,300 bacteria, viruses and toxins that contaminate water around the world.

Gerard Brandon CEO Integumen plc commented:

"In the wake of the COVID-19 public health crisis, we are grateful to local industry and research institutions such as Frozen in Time Limited and University of York, who have enabled Integumen to begin production immediately. We are now able to bring water contamination detection bacteria faster to the frontline environmental inspection teams, in crisis countries, where there is currently insufficient supply. I also want to acknowledge our team of dedicated chemical engineers, biologists, microbiologists and quality control personnel who are playing their role in making this happen.

"Integumen is in a strong position to provide the support for Modern Water and all their customers across the world through delivery of integrated engineering, scientific and real-time data analytical solutions in order to address this major societal and global problem in healthcare and the environment. "

About Integumen plc

Integumen is a scientific research and AI-as-a-Service company focused on production and analysis of bacteria, virus and toxins utilising artificial intelligent data analytics in regulatory technology, from scientifically proving the impact of skincare product claims on skin microbiome for top 10 global cosmetic company clients to remotely detecting water contamination in real-time.

About Modern Water plc

Modern Water was established in 2006 to develop and commercialise water recovery technologies to counter water crisis problems arising from climate change and a growing global population. Having invested £20m over the last 14 years, the results comprise of a robust patent portfolio of cutting edge technology, focused on monitoring of contaminated water and decontamination of wastewater, making recycling of water more efficient. Six countries across the world have legislated that Modern Water monitoring test systems are written into their environmental protection legislation.          

About Frozen in Time

Based in York, UK, Frozen in Time Limited has been designing and manufacturing freeze dryers for more than a quarter of a century. In that time, they fabricated machinery in a full range of sizes and specifications, for businesses of all sizes, working in all kinds of industry sectors worldwide.

About University of York

The University of York is a collegiate research university, located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres. With over £8 million of capital equipment, 2,000 square meters of laboratories, the purpose-built centre of excellence provides access to state-of-the-art bioscience technologies for external academic laboratories and commercial business users. It has all the relevant equipment needed to begin production of the water contamination detection bacteria immediately.