Exploring Skin Science: The Innovations of Michael Polansky's Outer Bio
Michael Polansky is a multifaceted entrepreneur who has been involved in various ventures over the past decade. He recently co-founded Outer Bio, a Massachusetts-based company focused on studying human skin to discover new bioactive ingredients. The company, founded in 2020, aims to develop proprietary active ingredients that can be used in a range of industries, from pharmaceuticals to beauty products. Lady Gaga, Polansky's fiancée, is also involved in the company as a board member.
Studying human skin poses challenges due to ethical and regulatory constraints. Outer Bio has developed a research and development system called Yuna, which can keep living human skin observable for up to four weeks. The company collects donated skin samples from various sources and processes them in-house for experimentation. Outer Bio's research areas include wound healing, pigmentation, chronic inflammation, aging, and skin barrier function.
Outer Bio uses AI models trained on the data it collects to predict the effects of compounds on human skin. The company emphasizes data collection as its primary focus, believing that better data leads to faster innovation in the life sciences field. Outer Bio has also formed partnerships with companies to commercialize the bioactive ingredients it discovers. One of its early partners is Lady Gaga's cosmetics brand, Haus Labs.
Polansky views Outer Bio as a company that can drive innovation in the skin health industry and biological machine learning. He believes that solving the scientific and technical challenges posed by skin research will open up new possibilities in various industries. Outer Bio's commitment to data-driven research and collaboration with partners like Haus Labs reflects its dedication to advancing skin health and innovation in the beauty industry.