L’Oréal Partners with Microbial Genomics Company

L’Oréal today announced a partnership between its Technology Incubator and Silicon Valley-based microbial genomics company uBiome as part of its research into the skin microbiome. Through this partnership, the two companies intend to conduct new research on the skin’s bacterial ecosystem, with a goal of offering deeper skin insights to uBiome’s global community while informing future product development at L'Oréal.
 
This collaboration, according to L’Oréal bridges its expertise in the science of skinc are with uBiome’s leadership in microbiome research.
 
“When it comes to skincare, people often audition product after product to determine what works for their unique skin. At L’Oréal, our goal is to advance scientific research and leverage new technologies to change this relationship, by allowing deeper levels of personalization,” Guive Balooch, vice president of L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator, said in a statement. “The microbiome has major implications for skin’s overall appearance and health. With the global reach of uBiome’s community of citizen scientists, our two companies will be able to extend our respective research in this space, and better understand the interplay between bacterial diversity and skin health.”   
 
uBiome, which was founded in 2012 by Stanford-, Oxford-, and UCSF-educated researchers, uses advanced technology to analyze human microbiome. The company, which contends it has the world’s largest database of human microbiomes, has seven issued patents and 250 pending patents. uBiome’s has four kits designed for at-home sampling—SmartGut, the world’s first sequencing-based clinical microbiome test; SmartJane, the first sequencing-based women’s health screening test; and Explorer and Explorer Plus , a health and wellness product to understand the role that food and lifestyle can play in wellness
 
“So many clues about our overall health come from the amazing world of microorganisms,” said Jessica Richman, noted co-founder and CEO of uBiome. “L’Oréal is an ideal partner for uBiome as it has had a strong focus in scientific innovation in this space for years. Their expertise, combined with uBiome's advanced understanding of the skin microbiome will allow us to pave the way for the future of personalized skin care.” 
 
L’Oréal’s Technology Incubator is an arm of L’Oréal’s Research & Innovation Division.
 
L’Oréal began exploring the skin microbiome over a decade ago and has published 50 papers on the subject since 2006.
 
“In the past several years, L'Oréal's research into skin microbiome has accelerated thanks to new genomic technologies and big data analysis,” said Luc Aguilar, a research director in L'Oréal’s Research and Innovation division. “A major finding from our research shows that skin disorders, much like gut ones, are often linked to a problem of microbial imbalance. Good proportions of each microorganism are key to ensuring skin health.”
  
The partnership between the two companies will be formally introduced today at L'Oréal's “Know Your Skin” exhibit at The Fast Company Grill in Austin, TX, where Balooch and Richman will be on site.