Chemicals giant BASF has joined forces with CYTOO, French biotechnology company, to research into a range of active ingredients that will work to increase skin firmness in skin care products.

CYTOO had previously developed FibroScreen, a platform based on micro-patterning technology that allows the precise control of cell substrate geometry and stiffness. This is used to investigate cell features following recent research that some ingredients can stimulate the contractility of human fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) and as a result improve skin appearance and firmness.

BASF has come together with CYTOO to pool their collective experience and resources in a bid to delve further into the research and work on new cell-based essays and to identify new active compounds.

Valérie André-Frei, Responsible Project Manager at BASF, said, “We are very pleased to be one of the first companies worldwide partnering with CYTOO to validate the effects of innovative skin-based assays on skin firmness. Thanks to this cooperation, we are able to strike a new path and identify new compounds that will help our customers to be more successful.”

Luc Selig, CEO of CYTOO, said, “We are proud that, together with BASF, we can explore the effect of compounds on fibroblasts in the human skin. For us, this partnership marks an important milestone. It demonstrates that CYTOO is able to build a win-win relationship with a research team of the world’s leading chemical company to quickly advance research and deliver high-value results.”