BASF and Bota Biosciences have officially unveiled a new bioactive ingredient -- basically, an AI-designed human-identical collagen for next-gen skincare breakthrough.
Thus, bringing their joint innovation from lab to market with the debut of SkinNexus Collag3n—a 100% human-identical recombinant Collagen III fragment now being commercialized for the global personal care industry.
The ingredient made its global first appearance at in-cosmetics Global in April 2026, marking a major milestone in a collaboration that blends industrial biotech with advanced cosmetic science.
Positioned as a next-generation beauty active, SkinNexus Collag3n combines Bota’s Physical AI-driven biofoundry platform with BASF’s established expertise in cosmetic actives.
The companies screened more than 2,000 collagen fragments, running candidate evaluation in parallel with industrial feasibility testing—an approach designed to compress discovery timelines while ensuring scalability from the outset.
The result is a recombinant, vegan Collagen III fragment produced via yeast fermentation with a 100% human-identical sequence.
In 3D dermis models, it was shown to support a more balanced collagen environment, increasing key markers of skin structure, including +48% Collagen I, +82% Collagen III, and +71% Collagen V. In clinical studies on women aged 53–70, visible improvements in sagging and wrinkle appearance were observed after four weeks, outperforming a collagen benchmark used at ten times the concentration.
“SkinNexus Collag3n reflects our commitment to high-performance, science-based innovation. Bota Biosciences was the partner of choice to combine strong efficacy with industrial scalability,” said Lucilene Veira Nunes, Global Business Management BASF Beauty Care Solutions.
Cheryl Cui, Founder and CEO of Bota Biosciences, said: “This collaboration is proof that Physical AI for Biomanufacturing can turn cutting-edge science into commercial, sustainable, and high-performance ingredients. Together with BASF, we are setting new standards for bio-identical actives in personal care.”
The launch underscores the growing momentum behind bio-based innovation in personal care, and signals a deeper, ongoing partnership between BASF and Bota Biosciences aimed at scaling next-generation sustainable beauty ingredients globally.
