Developing test kits to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease

TMC employeneur Stephanie Bauters plays an important role in developing test kits that can effectively diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. As a process engineer in Fujirebio, she is responsible for realizing a production line of test kits based on biomarkers: “In general, you can say that biomarkers are proteins that we can detect in body fluids, that can tell us something about the health condition of patients or how their body functions. At Fujirebio, we are developing several promising test kits on biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease: by analyzing proteins in blood or cerebrospinal fluid, it is possible to not only detect the presence of Alzheimer’s disease but also the stage in which a patient probably is.”

The science of the human body

Several key moments during Stephanies education and career have defined her path towards the life sciences and TMC. “First of all, I realized during my studies that I am very interested in the science of the human body. I first did a bachelor’s degree in biomedical technology. Soon, I realized that working as a biomedical technician wasn’t as fulfilling as I thought it would be. I was operating medical equipment to analyze medical samples. What really interested me was what was going on in these samples: how can we perform a diagnosis using specific biomarkers?”

She completed a Master of Science in engineering to satisfy her need to gain scientific clinical knowledge. “I obtained my degree during the COVID pandemic. You can imagine that at the time I was very much intrigued by this virus and the vaccine that was developed against it. So, when I realized that Pfizer was developing this vaccine, I was strongly committed to finding my first role there.”

Stephanie succeeded: she joined a consultancy company and got her first assignment at Pfizer. “As a process owner, I was responsible for Pfizer’s quality management system. For pharmaceutical companies, it is of crucial importance to have the right process in place to ensure the safety, efficacy, and reliability of their products. In this role, I was responsible for all so-called Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs): a standard methodology to identify and address potential issues, so they can be dealt with properly, thereby enhancing overall product quality and safety.”

Social aspect

While this role was at least partially a dream come true, Stephanie realized that she missed a vital element in her work: “I am keen on the social aspect of my work. I need to connect with my colleagues. “During my first contact with a business manager at TMC, I noticed that this was a great fit for me,” says Stephanie. “The people really made me feel welcome, and the atmosphere at the office was very warm and open.”

Enjoying the engineering element

The project that she got assigned perfectly fits her background and interests: “Fujirebio is a Japanese company that has a branch in Ghent. Here, we are already producing test kits for biomarkers in blood plasma. My role is to transfer the production of biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid from Japan to Ghent. I really enjoy the engineering element of this role: I have to analyze the current production processes in Japan and Ghent, find differences, and take mitigating measures to bridge those gaps. This allows me to make use of my mathematical skills, such as analyzing which parameters need to be adjusted or how much raw material we will need for the production process.”

Something struck Stephanie about her onboarding at TMC. “I felt that a lot of effort went into finding the right project for me. At some consultancy firms, you can get pushed in a certain direction. TMC really looked at my professional qualities to find the right match with the project specifications of the customer.”