Biotrack predicts infections and finds culprit for bowel problems

“I started in 2011 with the idea of developing a new detection method for microorganisms,” Gerard begins. “The goal was a device that can investigate better and deeper, but also functions autonomously. It's like a lab in a box, actually. And that has now succeeded in the form of an eighty by fifty centimeter system, an oversized microwave, approximately.” The advantage of this solution lies mainly in the speed with which tests can be done, Gerard explains: “This didn't exist at all. That means that samples always had to go to the lab, which of course takes a lot more time.”

Measuring the effect of antibiotics

Measuring the effect of antibiotics on infections normally takes days, but Biotrack does it in a few hours. Gerard: “And in addition, we also measure something that no one can measure, namely the effect of the bacteria. What exactly is the benefit of that? Simply put: a hundred years ago, people started measuring bacteria, in other words; then they could tell whether or not they were there. About fifty years ago, people could count them, or rather, estimate how many there were. And we can now determine it exactly and see how active each bacteria is. This provides a predictive value for their development, because if a bacterium is active, there will be more of them. And whether that is right or wrong depends again on which bacteria it is.”

NL-lab

Since 2019, NL-Lab has been part of Biotrack. NL-Lab is a private medical research laboratory whose mission is to provide the ultimate medical diagnostics for patients and therapists. This ensures that a larger part of the medical sector can be served, explains Gerard. “Small clinics and independent doctors don't test enough and can't afford our devices. In order to give them the opportunity to examine their samples, we do this for them and send back the results. Speed is then less important, but it's mainly about making the right diagnosis. Think of someone who has already been to the internist with bowel problems, but hears that nothing can be done for him because no specific illness has been found. “You have to do something about your lifestyle,” they often hear. But what then? We can answer that.”

If you look at all the possible applications of our work like that, the sky is really the limit.

‍

Thousands of species of bacteria

Your gut is linked to many diseases, but finding out what causes something can be complex: “You have over a thousand different types of bacteria in your gut,” says Gerard. “They all do something, some more relevant than the other, but if the wrong bacteria gets a little too much control, it can cause problems. For example, the production of neuroactive substances that make people depressed or have ADHD-like symptoms. Then you can take pills, but that alleviates the symptoms and does not eliminate the cause. We can measure how many bacteria there are and how active they are, so you can take targeted action.”

Erasmus MC Partnership

Biotrack recently started a collaboration with Erasmus MC to use their devices for various studies. Gerard: “This is about complex urinary tract infections and better use of antibiotics in this regard. But we are looking at many more applications; for example, the treatment of infections. Think of placing an artificial knee or hip, these are hard-to-reach areas and infections occur regularly while everything has already been completely closed. Actually, you should know beforehand whether bacteria will be added. We can find out, something that has not been possible so far. If you look at all the possible applications of our work like that, the sky is really the limit.”