How to map the skin’s microbiome: uBiome earns 8th patent

In yet further confirmation of the ongoing investment into the potential of the skin’s microbiome for the beauty and personal care industry, this leader in microbial genomics has been granted a patent for characterizing skin conditions such as eczema, dry skin, photosensitivity, and acne.

Further, the company explains that the patent involves developing a therapy to prevent or ameliorate skin-related conditions by analyzing biological samples from uBiome’s patented kits.

“This issuance will lead to further development in characterizing and designing therapies for skin-related conditions which may include probiotic, prebiotic, antibiotic, antifungal, phage-based, small molecule-based, cognitive/behavioral, physical, clinical, medication-based, and diet-related therapies,” explains uBiome.

“Together, these potential impacts could improve the treatment and management of skin-related conditions in an individualized and population-wide manner.”

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Patent details​

The patent number 10,169,541 is entitled “Method and System for Characterizing Skin Related Conditions” by the US Patent and Trademark Office on January 1, 2019 with a priority date of October 21, 2014.

The patent is an invention by uBiome collaborators Dr. Zachary Apte, Dr. Daniel Almonacid, Dr. Jessica Richman, and Dr. Catalina Valdivia, and expands upon its current intellectual property portfolio.

“With this patent, we hope to advance the science of skin-related conditions, which are on the rise and already affect millions of people worldwide,” Jessica Richman, PhD, co-founder and CEO of uBiome, said.

“We are thrilled to continue expanding our intellectual property and growing our patent portfolio, currently the largest in the microbiome space.”

uBiome was founded in 2012 with the mission of advancing the science of the microbiome and “make it useful to people”.

It boasts tented proprietary precision sequencing™ and uses this alongside machine learning and artificial intelligence to develop wellness products, clinical tests, and therapeutic targets.

Its commercial products include:

• SmartGut™, the world’s first sequencing-based clinical microbiome test, which identifies microbes in the gut for patients with chronic gut conditions such as IBD, IBS, Crohn’s Disease, and ulcerative colitis

• SmartJane™, the first sequencing-based women’s health screening test, which genotypes all 19 clinically relevant strains of HPV, identifies four common STDs, and surveys more than 20 vaginal microbes associated with bacterial vaginosis and other conditions

• Explorer™, a health and wellness product to understand the role that food and lifestyle can play in wellness.

The latest patent suggests the company is now turning its sights to the potential of the microbiome for skin health and in beauty and personal care applications.