The workshop follows 40 years of collaboration between the two Universities in the area of microbiological and biotechnological research.
Held in Bangkok in partnership with Japanese manufacturer, Shimadzu, the scientists spoke about their work to develop innovative technologies and applications from metabolomics for various sectors including personal care.
Shimadzu linked up with Osaka University's Fukusaki laboratory in 2011 and has been developing and manufacturing analysis equipment for the latest biotechnology research.
Particularly beneficial in the development of sun care and anti-ageing products
Regarding personal care, metabolomics can provide insights into skin structure and processes and the mechanisms by which new applications can improve skin health.
For example, cellular damage and ageing have been associated with changes in amino acid, lipid, and energy metabolites across multiple skin layers.
Understanding these changes can be extremely useful in the development and validation of sun care and anti-ageing products, as well as treatments for skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Working with metabolomics for these kind of products can include reducing the development time and improving product efficacy by elucidating metabolic targets of various skin conditions as well as advancing R&D pipelines in therapeutic areas such as acne, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
Dermo-cosmetics
Dermo-cosmetics are recommended for specific skin care needs and the market represents 4.4% of the global beauty market, valued at about €7.6 billion.
The segment is in a strong position, outpacing the global beauty market, and with 1 in 4 skin care products sales in the West taking place in pharmacies or health and beauty shops.
Whereas the global beauty market increased by 3.8% in 2013, the dermo-cosmetics sector experienced a 4.8% growth rate, led by a vital Western Europe market and accelerated development in new markets such as China and Latin America.