Caught on Film

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By Stephen McDonald

Established in 2001, MBEC is a contract research and commercial sales company that also specializes in biofilm research. MBEC’s core products allow for standardized, reproducible biofilm growth for research purposes, and for high throughput screening of antibiotics, biocides, and antimicrobial coatings used to prevent and treat biofilm formation.
Microbial biofilms are structured communities of bacteria that clump together in a single- or multi-species group. Their common bond is a matrix comprised of polysaccharides, DNA and proteins. This forms a thick, mucus-like substance. Most people would call it slime — Boutilier calls it an opportunity to combat one of today’s most challenging, but little known, health-care issues.
A leading cause of serious health problems, biofilms account for 60 to 80 per cent of human infections.
Specifically, biofilms are hydrated complex polymers called hydrogels. Hydrogels have a slime-like quality that can adhere to surfaces. When liquid is passed over a biofilm it remains anchored, but bits can break off and begin a new colony in other parts of the liquid.
It is believed microbial biofilms can colonize the lungs of patients on ventilators in this manner, causing often fatal pneumonia in critically ill patients. MBEC’s assay kits are designed for basic research into the physiology and genetics of biofilms.
“You can see the sharp uptake in biofilms, but in the past there really hasn’t been a technology available that allows the basic research of biofilms to occur,” Boutilier says.
“Our core technology, the MBEC assay, allows that (research) to happen. Researchers are able to ask some fundamental questions, and publish papers, and that builds the groundswell of knowledge.”
Due to their communal nature, biofilms are notoriously hard to kill. In the late 1600s, Dutch microbiologist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek identified a biofilm — dental plaque on his dentures. When he attempted to eradicate it, he noted that only the planktonic, or free-floating, cells were killed. Despite this discovery, killing planktonic cells became the primary focus of microbiology. Now that biofilms have been linked to serious health concerns, microbiologists are starting to rethink their combat strategy.
“There is a fundamental flaw in how we are treating infectious diseases,” Boutilier says. “All current, available antibiotics are based on free-floating bacteria, which are very easy to kill. When that organism goes into a biofilm, resistance can increase up to 4,000 fold.”
Biofilms can cause a multitude of infections and available treatments are limited.
Currently there are no antibiotics approved for biofilm infections. Cystic fibrosis, lung disease, peritoneal dialysis, catheter and chronic infections, and diabetic leg ulcers are caused by organisms in a biofilm state.
Physicians currently use tests that detect free-floating bacteria, which provide clues to the type of infection. Due to the resilience of the biofilm infection, this approach is often of little to no benefit to the patient.
“The throat swab test tests for free-floating bacteria,” Boutilier says. “So the results come back (and tell the physician) that this antibiotic will kill or inhibit that particular bacteria. You use it for the required treatment period, and not only are you not going to get better, the bacteria has been subjugated to a sub-lethal dose of antibiotic, which is the start of resistance.”

The Business Vision
A former pharmacist, Boutilier also holds a MBA with a focus on new venture development. MBCE’s growth can be attributed to Boutilier’s combination of business expertise and scientific understanding, a combination he insists must work in harmony for a biotech company to be successful.
“I do a little bit of everything (but) I try to leave the science to the scientists,” Boutilier says. “At the same time (we are) imparting a business culture (with respect to) our R&D programs.
“You don’t look at R&D with a start point and an end point. You look at it from the perspective of: what’s the product that you’re developing? Who is the client? What are their needs? How much are they willing to pay for it? So it is really (expanding) the typical scientist view of research, into something much more market driven.”
With market-driven solutions in hand, the biotech industry, both in Canada and worldwide, continues to grow exponentially. Canadian science is set to take the stage as a major player, but only if all facets of development are embraced.
“Fundamentally, Canadian science is world class,” Boutilier says. “It’s powerful intellectual property — we should be proud of that.
“I think we have done a dismal job of commercializing these technologies. To be proud of Canadian science is one thing, but there is a responsibility on government, on scientists, on all of us to take the next step, to create this knowledge base in the universities. The circle isn’t closed until you commercialize it.”
Given the continued growth of the biotech sector, Boutilier is cautiously optimistic about the MBEC’s future.
“We are all very aware of the ups and downs of biotech, that lack of control of your destiny when you are dependent on the public markets for funding,” Boutilier says. “We take control over where we are going to seek out technology that can be profitable very quickly.”
One such technology, which became the MBEC assay, was developed by University of Calgary (Calgary, AB) professor Merle Olson in the department of microbiology and infectious diseases, and Howard Ceri, PhD, professor in the department of biological sciences and chair of the Biofilm Research Group. To Boutilier, the value of this research as a viable business was evident.
“We want to sell it to the world,” Boutilier says of the assay. “The more entrenched we get it into the world, the better off the (industry) will be. This piece of plastic — we want it to be the Petri dish of biofilm research.”
MBEC has shown it can be profitable, which Boutilier says may be the key to attracting key development funds.
“We will need chunks of cash from time to time to do some big development programs,” he says. “It’s good for the investor to see that the infrastructure and the administration and other basic components are covered, so that the investment that comes in will go specifically to the project. I think that is a different spin for investors. Hopefully, that will give them a sense that they are getting much more value for their money.”