Singapore scientists produce lab-made human skin

Published November 14, 2019
Singapore: A view of lab-made human skin, made from skin cells and collagen, at Nanyang Technological University.—Reuters
Singapore: A view of lab-made human skin, made from skin cells and collagen, at Nanyang Technological University.—Reuters

SINGAPORE: A piece of skin about the size of your thumbnail can be printed in less than a minute, scientists in Singapore say, a game-changing step for the future of non-animal testing for cosmetics and other products.

Made up of skin cells from donors and collagen, the in-vitro skin has the same chemical and biological properties as human skin, says John Koh, lab manager at start-up DeNova Sciences, which is collaborating with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University on the product.

“We can see that the industry is moving towards animal-free testing,” Koh said.

“So we really want to offer a solution to testing on the skin without using animal or human skin.” The team has accelerated the manufacturing process by using a printing machine to put in precisely patterned layers that mimic human skin. Each tiny piece of skin takes less than a minute to print, which is the distinctive quality of this project.

The mixture is then incubated for about two weeks, as the skin cells multiply and gain opacity, turning into a whitish membrane.

The skin can be used to test the toxicity or irritation potential of a substance, and the penetrative qualities of active ingredients in products like cosmetics.

His team is now focusing on developing skin that includes Asian pigment cells to test the whitening effects of cosmetics and skincare products.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Cholistan project
18 Feb, 2025

Cholistan project

THE Green Pakistan Initiative took off with the launch of three business franchises under the umbrella project in...
Right to know
18 Feb, 2025

Right to know

IT is an unfortunate paradox that while on paper Pakistan has some of the most impressive right to information laws,...
Dam dispute
18 Feb, 2025

Dam dispute

THE situation in Chilas needs attention and a fair-minded approach so that it can be resolved amicably. Diamer ...
Climate funding gap
Updated 17 Feb, 2025

Climate funding gap

Pakistan must boost its institutional capacity to develop bankable climate projects.
UN monitoring report
Updated 17 Feb, 2025

UN monitoring report

Pakistan must press Kabul diplomatically over its tolerance of TTP terrorism.
Tax policy reform
17 Feb, 2025

Tax policy reform

THE cabinet’s decision to create a Tax Policy Office at the finance ministry has raised hopes that tax policy is...