Promoting Biofilms in Personal Care
Biofilm science is strongly emerging as key to understanding human health and many companies are now building technology into products that respect the biofilm.
Cosmetics Cluster UK (CCUK) is the UK’s first business cluster, wholly focused on the cosmetics sector and its diverse supply chain. Innovation is at the heart of this sector and CCUK was delighted to be asked to partner with NBIC to promote innovation in biofilms relevant to skin, hair, oral and deodorant products. CCUK and NBIC teamed up in 2020 to jointly host a series of webinars on this topic, and CCUK were able to reach out to brands, suppliers, testing houses and key opinion formers in the cosmetic and personal care sector to bring a diverse range of speakers from both UK and internationally.
NBIC introduced its network of biofilm-related industries and academics to CCUK. The events were co-promoted to both audiences. The Covid-19 pandemic meant having virtual meetings, which facilitated great attendance from across the UK, and beyond. In total, the two joint events, were attended by 180 delegates. Dr Gill Westgate, CCUK co-founder and Director said,
“CCUK’s mission is to be a ‘network of networks’ and our collaboration with NBIC over the last year has certainly helped us achieve this.”
Outcomes include an increase in personal care, cosmetic and skin health-related applications to NBIC’s Proof of Concept grants and the creation of new partnerships between industry and academia. Dr Westgate said,
Screenshot captured at the first joint NBIC and CCUK webinar, ‘The science behind the skin microbiome and biofilms: evidence and claims’. Speakers included: L-R, Dr Gill Westgate from CCUK, Dr Sudeep Basu, Frost and Sullivan, Olivia Santoni from Bloom Regulatory, and Dr Kristin Neumann from MyMicrobiome.
“The commitment of UKRI to biofilms research through funding NBIC is hugely important as a driver of innovation, as well as to the development of new links between industry and academic research. CCUK is delighted to have been part of this journey”.
NBIC and CCUK will continue to work together on joint webinars and activities associated with biofilms in personal care. The next, is a webinar planned for the autumn 2021, which will focus on in vitro skin models in personal care.