#Japan #Tokyo #NBRC #Skin Microbiome #Microbial Cocktail

Japan's Innovative Step Towards Skin Health Research

In a groundbreaking development for the cosmetic industry, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) has announced the launch of Japan's first skin microbiome cocktail. Starting June 2, 2025, this innovative product is poised to enhance the analysis of skin microbiomes, thus accelerating research and development across cosmetic products and dermatological health.

The skin microbiome, a diverse community of microorganisms residing on human skin, has gained significant attention due to its crucial role in skin health and disease prevention. It is particularly linked to conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, wherein the balance of these microorganisms becomes essential for maintaining skin integrity. However, variability in the analytical methods used and the discrepancies between different labs have led to challenges in obtaining consistent and reliable data.

NITE aims to address these issues with the introduction of the NBRC Skin Microbiome Cocktail, a reference sample designed to improve the validity of experimental methods and enhance the management of experimental accuracy in microbiome analyses. By utilizing this cocktail, researchers can better evaluate measurement methods and improve the reliability of data collected, which is anticipated to significantly advance the research and development of cosmetics and related products.

The Composition of the Cocktail

The NITE's innovative cocktail comprises 14 species of bacteria and 4 species of fungi that naturally inhabit human skin. Two variations of this product are available:

1. NBRC Skin Resident Bacteria Cocktail: This version includes a mixture of cells or spores from the 14 bacterial species and 4 fungal species, making it ideal for validating methods like DNA extraction and sampling processes.

2. NBRC Skin Resident Bacteria DNA Cocktail: This variant consists of mixed genomic DNA from the same microbial species, suitable for testing sequencing library preparation techniques and data analysis methodologies.

By providing a standardized reference sample, NITE enables laboratories to achieve consistent experimental standards across different test sites. Coupled with the