A young Quebec company specializing in artificial intelligence is looking for 300 subjects to participate in a pilot project on nutrition and weight management, using its digital twin platform.
BioTwin was selected by the multinational Novo Nordisk as part of a call for projects to develop a technological tool to detect early signs and predict obesity.
This pilot project will track the eating habits, exercise and physical activity as well as the perception of stress related to weight management of the participants who will receive a starter kit including a biometric bracelet and a bio-impedance scale (this notably measures the amount of water, fat and muscle in the body Ed.).
digital twin
On a regular basis, subjects will be required to provide a blood, saliva and urine sample. This data, processed anonymously, will be used to build a personalized digital twin for each participant that will be used for research purposes.
“Our technology does not serve the user directly. Rather, it serves the health care professional. We give tools to a nutritionist or a doctor who will be able to get information that does not currently exist,” explained Louis-Philippe Noël, co-founder and general manager at BioTwin.
Depending on their profile, participants will be able to receive personalized nutritional advice. To carry out this component, the company is collaborating with Andréanne Martin, dietitian-nutritionist, and her team, who will take care of interactions with participants, in addition to directing the monitoring of eating habits.
Operation
“BioTwin makes correlations, it does not make causalities. […] BioTwin’s technology makes it possible to see what nutritionists do not see, what doctors do not see. We focus on biomarkers that have not yet been identified. You can tell someone where he stands between an Olympic athlete and an obese person and what factors will affect him based on his biology. »
The young company from Quebec worked with the Rouge et Or triathlon team from Laval University to collect nearly 1,500 samples to build its algorithms and databases.
This virtual replica technology is already used in the wind turbine industry and in aeronautics to help detect problems before they occur.
Novo Nordisk, established in Denmark, will also make its teams of experts available to BioTwin. BioTwin is also participating in a research project on obesity with the Dr André Tchernof from the Research Center of the University Institute of Cardiology and Pulmonology of Quebec and Laval University.
Reference-www.journaldequebec.com