Lab-grown essential oil? Scientists launch microbe-based scents free from animal and plant inputs

07 Mar 2023 --- Microbiology has merged with perfumery, creating “natural but cruelty-free” scents using microbes rather than the usual animal and plant sources. Based at the University of Glasgow, the UK researchers behind the discovery have created a spin-off business to commercialize their technology, Scent No. M.

The company’s use of non-GMO techniques is claimed to be an industry first and provides a route to more ethical and sustainable industry practice, according to co-founder and research fellow Dr. Hua Wang.

“Many people don’t realize that even though the fragrances found in perfumes or cleaning and beauty products come from natural sources, they may in fact be derived from animals – such as whales, deer and bees – and plants farmed specifically for the supply chain,” he remarks.

“We saw an opportunity for an alternative that doesn’t rely on depleting natural resources and can instead be developed in a lab. It is still a natural product; it is just a new approach to harvesting aromas.”

New class of fragrance products
The inspiration for the idea came from a conversation about how some people have particularly appealing natural scents, thanks to the reactions of human bacteria.

Essential oils derived from natural or organic sources are already used in scented products, but traditionally derive from animals and their by-products or plants that must be harvested or farmed.

The boundaries of what is possible in the world of scent are continually expanding.Also, the fact many plants are seasonal adds to existing supply chain uncertainty.

Glasgow-based IbioIC, a networking and support organization that connects industry with academia, donated £20,000 (US$24,000) worth of funding to Scent No. M through its first award at the 2022 Converge Challenge, with advice provided from the center’s scale-up and business development experts to help expand the project.

Sustainable alternatives for ingredients and materials that go into consumables will be one of the core themes of the 2023 IBioIC conference.

“This project is a great example of how lab-based biotechnology could be used to modernize and transform an entire supply chain,” comments IbioIC director of business engagement Liz Fletcher.

“In Scent No. M’s case especially, it could lead to the production of more fragrances under controlled, reliable environments, offering greater reliability and resilience compared to current methods.”

Science-crafted perfumery
The boundaries of what is possible in the world of scent are continually expanding. Fragrance innovation has been undergoing a technological renaissance, integrating new advancements from across the scientific community.

Leveraging synergies between its consumer insights pool and neuroscience research, Givaudan recently unveiled “Well&Be,” a platform that assists the creation of emotional product experiences for consumers. Its main utility aids with fragrance design, while matching scent compositions with complementary product features, such as packaging colors, based on specifically targeted moods and emotions.

Givaudan’s platform Myrissi, which was used in creating Well&Be, generates a visual mood board and “verbal ecosystem” surrounding any fragrance. From packaging to campaign storytelling, the consumers’ emotional nuances are translated in their “most complete and consistent form,” according to Givaudan.

Meanwhile, some brands are resurrecting extinct flora to create contemporary scents. A recent collaboration between Haeckels and Tetsuo Lin, an MA Material Futures graduate from London’s Central Saint Martins, is aiming to revive lost scents by engineering fragrances using small amounts of DNA from floral samples.

By Benjamin Ferrer

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