Our Story

Our vision & mission

“The exploitation of the microbial world is essential for a sustainable, safer, and healthier future.”

Microorganisms hold immense, untapped potential to address a multitude of global challenges, from antibiotic resistance and human health to agricultural productivity and climate change. Recent advancements in DNA technologies have unveiled the previously unseen world of microbes, enabling us to understand their intricate interactions with the environment. Our state-of-the-art laboratory and bioinformatics capacity lead by team of experts, supports our clients to unravel the power of the microbial world.

Through more than 30 years of dedication, we’ve built a strong foundation, thanks to our loyal customers and collaborative partners in the industry as well as academia and research. Together, we continuously enhance our services and develop innovative solutions. We are looking forward to continuing these valuable partnerships, as only through collective efforts can we fully grasp the power of microbes to create a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

Our history

BaseClear founders Bas Reichert and Erna Barèl, Leiden University alumni, transitioned from a two-person startup to Europe’s largest independent genome specialist. Their venture began in 1993, driven by a vision to bridge the gap in sequencing expertise. Starting in a small lab in Rijnsburg, they quickly expanded, moving to Leiden and taking on their first large assignment – sequencing a full gene cluster of DNA for a pharmaceutical company. As demand grew, BaseClear relocated to Leiden Bio Science Park in 2003, scaling up operations and achieving a GMP licence for microbial testing.

Today, BaseClear is proud to be serving multiple international markets across the oceans, with the latest in-house technology and expertise built on this strong foundation.

Meet Derek Butler!

Dr. Derek Butler is BaseClear’s CEO. He has served BaseClear for the last 15 years in a number of leadership positions. He is a microbiologist and a graduate of University College Cork and TIAS Business School. Dr. Butler has more than 20 years of biotech experience and has held a number of commercial and scientific roles within BaseClear. He is also the co-founder of Leiden-based MyMicroZoo, a company that offers direct-to-consumer microbiome testing.

Our location & building

BaseClear operates from its BREAAM award-winning Nucleus building. Our building is located at the heart of the Leiden Bio Science Park, the largest Life Sciences and Health (LSH) cluster in the Netherlands.

Leiden Bio Science Park

BaseClear is surrounded by over 200 dedicated life sciences companies and research institutes in the Leiden Bio Science Park including Janssen, IFF, TNO, LUMC and successful startups such as Meatable, MyMicroZoo, and Imuno Therapeutics. This has proven an excellent environment for us to flourish!

Excellent sustainability

BaseClear in its capacity, operates sustainably.

The building has a BREAAM sustainability label of ‘Excellent’ due to, for example, the 290 square meters of solar panels, the compact building volume, the efficient and high-frequency lighting, and the water-saving sanitary appliances.
In addition, it is connected to the thermal storage system (WKO) of the Biopartner Foundation, to use its overcapacity.

The sustainability of the Nucleus building is in line with the corporate vision of BaseClear since we consider sustainability to be of paramount importance. BaseClear also stimulates its employees to use public transport for commuting and to work in a more sustainable way e.g. by reducing printing and waste. We also aim to contribute more to sustainability research projects.