MakeSense:
HEK293T cell line-based
cosmetics toxicity biosensor
The Problem We're Solving
84%
of cosmetics contain harmful chemicals
2.3B
people use cosmetics daily worldwide
Fast
real-time toxicity detection
The Hidden Danger in Cosmetics
The Hydroquinone Problem
In recent years, cosmetic and personal care products (PCP) are utilized by individuals of all ages and gender divisions. Especially, the widespread use of over-the-counter (OTC) skin-lightening products has become commonplace globally. Despite its wide use in the production of cosmetics, hydroquinone use may result in health issues, starting from skin barrier damage and allergies up to organ damage and cancer.
Growing Issue: The global skin lightening products market size is projected to grow from $9.67 billion in 2024 to $16.42 billion by 2032. Skin-bleaching products aren't going anywhere, which makes hydroquinone use even harder to fight. This harmful compound, despite being prohibited in most countries, is being used in the production of creams and other hygienic products without being mentioned, causing these disastrous health issues and giving way to harmful beauty standards.
Our Innovation
To address this issue, our team has been working on engineering HEK-293 cells to be able to identify hydroquinone in cosmetic products, as there are no effective methods of identifying it to this date.
Our engineered HEK293T cells carry a reporter construct that activates when exposed to oxidative stress caused by hydroquinone. If there is hydroquinone, the cells fluoresce (GFP expression), giving us a clear unsafe signal.
Cell-Based Detection System
We've engineered HEK293T cells to detect toxic compounds in cosmetics rapidly and accurately.
- Real-time toxicity screening
- High sensitivity and accuracy
- Cost-effective solution
- Environmentally friendly
- Cruelty-free
Learn More
Discover how our MakeSense works and the impact it can make.