BaseClear announces the appointment of Dr. Alex van Belkum as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), effective December 1, 2021

Alex Van Belkum is a highly cited molecular microbiologist with extensive experience in molecular- and culture-based diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance testing and clinical microbiology. He will lead BaseClear’s science and innovation arm together with Innovation Manager Walter Pirovano and a team of PhD-level Product Managers. “We are extremely pleased to announce that Alex van Belkum is joining the BaseClear team. He brings significant microbiological and innovation experience that will further enhance our ability to offer clients and partners state-of-the-art microbial genomics solutions,” says Bas Reichert, BaseClear CEO. “His experience and expertise will be invaluable for our further growth in areas such as human health, personal care and animal nutrition.”

Alex van Belkum is looking forward to contributing to BaseClear’s growth strategy: “The combination of Next Generation Sequencing technologies, culturomics and microbiome research has huge potential for the future. There are great opportunities for BaseClear to develop new and innovative solutions in areas such as human health, animal health and biomarker discovery. I’ll be working together with a strong team of experienced and highly talented scientists within Innovation and Product Management and look forward to the dynamic environment that BaseClear offers,” explains Alex van Belkum.

Alex van Belkum has many years of working experience in both industry and academia. He has worked for bioMérieux for over a decade, where he has held a number of scientific leadership roles including R&D director, Corporate Vice President Microbiology, CSO, and Scientific Director of the Data Analytics department. Prior to his work at bioMérieux, he was a staff member of the Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam. He holds a double PhD in both biochemistry and molecular microbiology and is a former Professor of Molecular Microbiology at the Erasmus University Medical Center.

Alex van Belkum looks forward to discussing microbial genomics opportunities.

About BaseClear

BaseClear is an independent Contract Research Organisation with significant genomics and microbiology capabilities and strong expertise in microbial genomics applications. BaseClear’s enthusiastic and highly qualified scientific team is dedicated to accelerating the understanding and use of microorganisms, and translating scientific discoveries into practical applications and sustainable solutions. Through microbial genomics, BaseClear supports clients to improve their products and processes, gain regulatory approval and confirm product claims. BaseClear offers these solutions to a wide variety of clients, active in industries such as human health, personal care and animal nutrition. Strict accreditations and certifications such as ISO17025, ISO27001 and GMP ensure quality assurance and data security, which are top priorities within BaseClear. BaseClear is proud to work from its award-winning and sustainable Nucleus Building, located at the heart of the Leiden Bio Science Park, a leading biomedical hub in Europe. For more information visit www.baseclear.com.