How an Austrian IT Duo Decodes the Gut Microbiome
In the analysis of complex microbiomes, combined AI expertise and digitalization know-how from Austria come into play: Leftshift One and Cancom Austria are jointly developing solutions to take microorganism analysis to the next level with advanced methods. This collaboration marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the two companies.
- 17. October. 2024
Karin Schnedlitz
Content Managerin
GRAZ/VIENNA/ZURICH. Digestion, metabolism, immune defense, and the development of inflammation: The 100 trillion bacteria in our gut play a crucial role in our health. The gut flora, or microbiome—the entirety of all gut bacteria—is a highly complex ecosystem that operates in a delicate balance with our body. To better understand the intricate interactions between gut bacteria and our health, researchers are turning to extensive microbiome analyses, leveraging expertise from Austria: Graz-based AI pioneer Leftshift One uses AI to analyze the data, while Cancom Austria provides the necessary software solutions for data collection, secure processing, and visualization in this project.
Deployed in Switzerland
The high-tech applications developed over the past twelve months are now being used at Ortho-Analytic, a Swiss laboratory for integrative medicine, which is among the innovation leaders in modern microbiome analysis in the DACH region. “A single sample sent to the lab contains more than 300,000 data points. With the AI we have implemented, it is possible to identify connections that would be impossible for humans to detect,” explains Leftshift One CEO Patrick Ratheiser. “The AI-powered analyses lead to logical conclusions that not only enable better-tailored treatment options and the use of more effective medications, but also allow for optimized nutritional plans as a treatment methodology,” emphasizes the CEO of the high-tech company.
"With the AI we have implemented, it is possible to identify connections that would be impossible for humans to detect."
"MyGPT" Provides the Technological Foundation
Before the extensive analysis begins, patient data—such as dietary habits, behaviors, and pre-existing conditions—is collected via a chat-based user interface with voice input. The resulting advantage: the information provided by the patient in natural language is correlated with the data from the microbiome analysis. Technologically, this is achieved through a plugin, a software module derived from Leftshift One’s “MyGPT” application—just one of many innovative extensions by Leftshift One. “This application is part of our tailored ChatGPT solution for businesses,” says Ratheiser.
Pooling of Forces
"By pooling our forces with Leftshift One, we were able to create a synergistic connection between cutting-edge AI analyses and software solutions."
For the underlying software development, Cancom Austria (formerly Kapsch BusinessCom) is also responsible, as a domestic IT company. Since June 2023, Austria’s leading ICT solutions and service provider, as well as digitalization partner, has been part of the CANCOM Group and has been operating as Cancom Austria since January 2024. With 5,600 employees at 80 locations and a revenue of around 1.5 billion euros in 2023, the Cancom Group offers a wide range of services and solutions, including business solutions and managed services for cloud transformation, AI and analytics, workplace, enterprise mobility, and IT security. This also includes hosting and as-a-service models. Cancom Austria employs around 1,650 employees through its subsidiaries in Romania, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland.
“Above all, our expertise in software development and platform integration has been brought into the current project,” confirms Franz Semmernegg, CEO of Cancom Austria. “By pooling our forces with Leftshift One, we were able to create a synergistic connection between cutting-edge AI analyses and software solutions. This opens up new dimensions in microbiome analytics.”
Ratheiser adds, “We are excited to combine our strengths with Cancom Austria to intertwine our complementary competencies in a forward-looking partnership. We are bringing our core expertise and our deep, long-established understanding of artificial intelligence into this collaboration. Furthermore, the partnership allows us to significantly expand our reach and capabilities. With the manpower and resources that Cancom Austria provides, we are now able to tackle extensive projects that were previously beyond our reach.”