Biotechnology-based solutions in the fragrance space are paving the way for a sustainable future while promising the scalability of rare novel fragrances. PersonalCareInsights speaks to experts at Firmenich, Sensegen and Conagen, who reveal what is upcoming in this space and the benefits and the potential of biotechnology for clean cosmetics.arah Reisinger, chief research officer at Firmenich, defines biotechnologies as the process of harnessing biology to produce products.
“Biotechnologies are like mini-factories powered by sugar-hungry microorganisms. Biochemists start with the end molecule in mind and figure out how to produce it. They are essentially likened to enzyme tamers,” explains Angelique Burke, VP of fragrance and senior perfumer at Sensegen.
“Scientists recently engineered yeasts to harbor biosynthetic pathways that make fragrance molecules. And those fragrances can be made by fermentation of those engineered microorganisms,” adds Yisheng Wu, senior director at Conagen.
Compared to natural ingredients made by traditional plant extraction methods, biotechnology solutions respond to demands in weeks versus months or years, Wu notes. Moreover, biotech solutions are not affected by the weather and seasons like plants are.
Biotechnology use can result in “unique” scents that would be difficult to make via chemistry and are not found in nature, notes Laurent Daviet, VP of biotechnology and natural process development at Firmenich.
Similarly, Burke adds that: “biotechnology helps bring to market truly novel molecules that either nobody ever smelled – because they were only present at an incredibly low level in plants – or which did not make economic sense to make them by organic synthesis.”
Burke says that biotechnology helps creating novel molecules that either nobody ever smelled or which did not make economic sense to make them by organic synthesis.
伯克说，生物技术有助于创造新的分子，这些分子要么没有人闻到，要么通过有机合成没有经济意义。
Harnessing biotech for ingredient sourcing and creation
利用生物技术进行原料的采购和创造
Burke explains that Sensegen’s partner, Conagen, uses biotechnologies for fragrance ingredients sourcing via deep collaboration for research innovation.
“This ‘sourcing’ of ingredients goes both ways. The first way is for R&D scientists to constantly experiment and have perfumers evaluate products. The second way is for perfumers to develop an ever-growing wish list of molecule ideas.”
On the other hand, for fragrance creation, it is possible for biotech to quickly make a molecule slightly different from what creators were used to, continues Burke.
“To commercialize specialty ingredients – our creativity is challenged daily to make fragrances with novel palettes. The challenges hone our expertise in formulating natural and sustainable fragrances, which are better and compete in quality and performance with synthetic ones.”
Ilaria Resta, president of perfumery at Firmenich, highlights that the most significant issue discussed at IFRA Global Summit, São Paulo, Brazil last week was sustainability, where biotechnology played a key role.
“The challenge is to develop the next generation of ingredients, which will be conscious by design, with a responsible and sustainable palette that does not sacrifice hedonics and performance.”
“Renewability and environmental responsibility are becoming increasingly important; individuals and companies alike are looking at how they can minimize their impact on the planet,” says Daviet.
Synthetic fragrances and essential oils
合成日用香料和精油
Wu elaborates on Conagen’s partnership with Sensegen to create new compounds, such as a class of plant-based musk through precision fermentation.
Wu says that biotechnology-based fragrances are cost-effective, provide consistent quality and have sustainable profile.
吴说，基于生物技术的香水具有成本效益、质量稳定和可持续发展的特点。
“For years, macrocyclic musk, a class of expensive synthetic aroma compounds, was created by chemists after the use of natural deer musk was banned for inhumane reasons. Still, they weren’t used as much for cosmetics as their cheaper polycyclic and nitro musk counterparts,” she continues.
“Synthetic fragrances became the mainstream turn of the 20th century when petroleum-based synthetic chemistry was celebrated. Since then, synthetic has become accepted as the mainstream and synonymous with simply ‘fragrance’ – as there wasn’t a difference between natural and synthetic fragrances.”
Moreover, Wu notes that essential oils have gained popularity over the past few decades. However, purity and raw materials were challenges in producing them.
“Botanical fragrance raw materials have limitations compared to modern, synthetic, petroleum-based fragrances. They are limited in their technical performance in sillage and long-lastingness. And botanicals are rarely ‘clean’ due to allergens, irritants and agricultural residues. Furthermore, they have a heavy environmental footprint due to the use of land and solvents for extraction,” she flags.
Reisinger说，在美容领域，生物技术被视为满足对天然活性物质日益增长的需求的答案。她指出，这也避免了寻找稀有植物原料的陷阱。
她评论道:“随着生物技术的突破性进步，以及可持续性对消费者的重要性日益增加，我们预计生物技术将在未来几年成为美容领域创新的关键杠杆，为美容产品的许多成分提供可再生资源，而不仅仅是活跃的。”
达维耶补充说，芬美意最近在具有多种功能的生物技术成分方面探索了一条很有前途的研究途径。“Dreamwood(一种由糖制成的香水成分)除了具有独特的嗅觉品质外，还能对皮肤有多种好处。”
Wu adds that another reason why more consumers turn toward clean-label products is for cost efficiency. “Bioactive peptides, for example, are in high demand and it’s very costly to make by chemical synthesis.”
“Historically, people have embraced fermentation-based ingredients in the beauty space. The penetration of ingredients made by biotechnology is relatively easy because consumers accept fermentation-derived ingredients.”
“从历史上看，人们在美容领域已经接受了发酵成分。生物技术成分的渗透相对容易，因为消费者接受发酵衍生的成分。”
Commenting on other areas of the clean beauty revolution, Burke remarks:“There is a growing desire for multifunctional ingredients, allowing simplified labeling, for example, to support clean beauty. Specialists in traditional folk medicines already know the value of plants and natural extracts for health and beauty. Pleasant smells make us feel at ease inside, radiating beauty,” she continues.
在谈到清洁美容革命的其他领域时，伯克评论道:“人们越来越渴望多功能成分，例如，简化标签，以支持清洁美容。传统民间医药专家已经知道植物和天然提取物对健康和美容的价值。宜人的气味让我们内心感到放松，散发出美丽的气息，”她继续说道。
Burke also highlights the history of essential oil in treating various skin ailments. “It is possible that single ingredients designed biotechnologically smell pleasing and display cosmetic activity.”
Scalability of biotech
生物技术的可扩展性
Resta thinks that biotech ingredients are an answer to preventing the growing strain on nature’s resources.
雷斯塔认为，生物技术成分是防止自然资源日益紧张的一个答案。
Resta highlights that at IFRA’s summit, biotechnology played a role in discussion on sustainability.
“Obtained by a natural fermentation process, these bioidentical synthetics offer natural-identical, renewable, biodegradable and cost-efficient solutions. This merge of science and nature will offer additional sustainable paths for new generations of ingredients and eco-efficient extraction technologies to be utilized in future fragrance formulations.”
“With biotechnology, we can reduce pressure on raw materials, energy consumption and waste. We can also protect natural resources while expanding our perfumers’ palette, like Clearwood, which is a woody note like patchouli, but less earthy and leathery – something new our perfumers can create with,” she continues.
Toward the sustainable scaling of biotech ingredients, Daviet comments: “Biotech ingredients generally have a reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional technologies and synthetic ingredients.”
此外，他指出了生物技术过程的好处，它可以通过使用糖等可再生原料来避免使用濒临灭绝的自然资源。“例如，芬美意的Dreamwood为从脆弱的檀香树中提取的植物油提供了一种可持续且具有成本效益的替代品。”
Reisinger highlights that biotechnology ties in with Firmenich’s green chemistry agenda.
Reisinger强调，生物技术与芬美意的绿色化学议程密切相关。
“Biotechnology is helping to shape the fragrance palette of the future – developing new ingredients that represent the scent of renewability and delivering the performance consumers expect.”
On the other hand, Burke says Sensegen’s New Naturals creation stands tall compared to their synthetic counterparts. “They can unlock myriad new smells because some of those molecules are novel. In the era of biology, it is an exciting time to be a taste and smell creator.”
“Biotechnology is bridging the gap between the consumers’ desire for natural products and their expectations regarding fragrance quality and performance. It implies that biotech ingredients allow creators to formulate fragrances as high performing as synthetic ones,” she continues.
Additionally, Burke thinks that blends of essential oils, which used to be synonymous with natural fragrances, cannot compete with combinations of synthetic materials. “The olfactive character, or the performance, is simply not there.”
“It is like trying to make a painting with ceramic squares representing various images versus using a brush and single colors to draw the image you want precisely. Biotech affords us molecular precision; therefore, natural ingredients smell the same as their synthetic counterpart,” she concludes.
原文出处：
Firmenich, Sensegen and Conagen usher in a new era of “truly novel” biotech-crafted fragrances (personalcareinsights.com)
