The biology behind the benefits
The group investigates the biological mechanisms underlying desirable (human and/or product) attributes and uses the results to create novel products with genuine benefits.
An important part of our research is ensuring we can support our claims and tell consumers exactly how effective our products are.
There are approximately 70 people in this area, looking at a wide range of biological science disciplines, including molecular genetics, molecular biology, metabolic biochemistry, cell biology, physiology and plant materials science.
Project teams are made up of experts in all these fields, helping us learn from each other and deliver excellent results.
Our successes include
- Enhancing 'skin mildness' in laundry products. This resulted in the launch of Persil Aloe Vera, endorsed by the British Skin Foundation.
- Understanding how the expression of skin repair genes is controlled. This allowed the team to identify bioactives that lead to the activation of these genes. These have been incorporated in Dove and Pond’s skin products.
Identifying DNA markers. This allowed faster breeding of new exclusive varieties of peas, spinach and tomatoes.
