EBPI (Environmental Bio-Detection Products Inc.) was formed under BEAK Consultants International an environmental professional service and technology development company. Its mission was to employ many of the technologies emerging from new sciences in the biotechnology area to evaluate the health of the natural environment. Over the next decade, the company carried out a number of consulting contracts addressing the environmental aspects of the emerging biotechnology industry and began development on a number of technologies including the Coli-Plate, Toxi-ChromoTest Kit, SOS-ChromoTest Kit and the Muta-ChromoPlate Kit (TA98, TA100) for research purposes.

EBPI becomes North American distributor for MicroBioTets Inc.  MicroBioTests Inc located in Gent Belgium, is the developer and manufacturer of the TOXKIT line of products.  These kits (like EBPI's line of toxicity testing kits) are used for the detection and quantification of the toxicity of chemicals and or solid and liquid wastes which pollute aquatic and terrestrial environments.  All product lines have the unique characteristics that they are culture and maintenance free bioassays, which do not require stock culturing of the test organisms.

BEAK Consultants International was sold to Stantec and EBPI was purchased by employees and the company restructured.

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill.  The US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) mandated that EBPI’s Rotifer toxicity test be used for detection of toxicity when dispersants where used.  As EBPI’s toxicity test kits can be adapted for any lab, the Rotifer test was used on the GEOEXPLORER a research vessel located in the Gulf of Mexico.  EBPI continued to work closely with other research groups and universities to understand the genetic effects (chronic effects) of this disaster.  This lead to EBPI’s Muta-ChromoPlate (Ames Test Kit) to make a cameo on the National Geographic Channels awarding winning documentary “Can the Gulf Survive”.

EBPI began to focus on the development of additional new technologies and adding additional staff. Will Lush took over as Manager of Operations and oversaw the developed of many of EBPI’s new technologies including the UMU-ChromoTest Kit (umuC assay) and begins the development of an international distribution network covering Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.

EBPI began research on it’s new line of Ames Express Strains (bacterial strains that express human recombinant enzymes), as well as the MOD-ISO and 384-ISO kits.  EBPI’s Ames Express Strains are mutagenic and genotoxic strains that express human recombinant enzymes for the detection of pro-mutagens.  Currently EBPI has developed strains that express human recombinant CYP 1A1, CYP 1A2, CYP 4A3, CYP 2E1 (Phase I Enzymes) as well as GST T1-1 (Phase 2 Enzymes).

Drinking Water Research:  EBPI’s Muta-ChromoPlate Ames Test kit was used for a large scale water treatment engineering technology development project with the University of Toronto.  During this research, the Muta-ChromoPlate kit was shown to detect mutagenic activity in a number of drinking water samples treated using a number of disinfection processes.  EBPI continues to work with the University of Toronto’s Drinking Water Research Group (DWRG) focusing on the genotoxic potential of Disinfection by-products (DBPs) from various drinking water treatment methods.  EBPI continues to expand its research with various universities and water treatment companies in the area of drinking water research.

EBPI goes into Outer Space In 2015, Jeff Short contacted EBPI in hopes of placing the first mutation assay into outer space to understand how rates of mutation differ on earth from those in outer space.   Through the 2015 Pathway to Adventure Council and Boy Scouts of America, sponsored by the Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) work began.   EBPI’s Ames 384-ISO was chosen based on it reliability, ease of use and compact form.  We have been saying for a long time that EBPI’s kits are out of this world, and now they truly are!