Project description DEENESFRITPL How the kraft process can be great for your skin From kohl which was used by the Ancient Egyptians to darken the eyelids to the countless personal care products that make up today’s cosmetics and personal care industry, there is concern about the environmental impact and human health risk related to the use of chemical ingredients. The EU-funded BIO4CARE project will explore the natural alternative: lignin. Generated as an undervalued by-product from kraft-pulping operations, kraft lignin has the potential to become a multi-functional ingredient to manufacture a novel and bio-based competitive solution for skin photo-protection. What is more, through the project’s MSCA programme activities, the researcher will reach professional maturity and independence. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Nowadays, cosmetics and personal care products are considered essential commodities of our life. However, the growing concern about the environmental impact and human health risk related to the excessive use of chemical ingredients in skin care formulations calls for the exploration of safe and sustainable natural alternatives. The diverse functional and bioactive properties of lignin make it worthwhile to be considered for cosmetic applications. Moreover, lignin is generated as an undervalued by-product from kraft-pulping operations, the most widespread method for pulp manufacture worldwide. The BIO4CARE project tackles challenging concepts with innovative solutions to develop an efficient lignin-based multi-functional ingredient with understood and controlled properties from kraft lignin for skin care formulations. To the best knowledge of the Experienced Researcher (ER), no prior research on using kraft lignin as a multi-functional ingredient to manufacture a novel and bio-based competitive solution for skin photo-protection has been reported. The BIO4CARE project comprises multi-disciplinary tasks and addresses different research areas such as analytical and applied chemistry as well as physics and biology to achieve the specific objectives of the project. The main objectives of the project are production of homogeneous lignin nanoparticles (LNP) by a sustainable and efficient method, optimization and understanding of nanostructure-properties relationships using powerful analytical tools, manufacture of high-quality Pickering emulsions with LNP and assessment of multi-functionality and toxicological profile of LNP. In addition, through MSCA program activities, the ER will gain research and scientific skills and acquire a new set of competences to reach professional maturity and independence after the fellowship by building a solid research and industrial network, organizing events, mentoring young researchers and managing projects. Fields of science engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials Keywords Kraft lignin lignin nanoparticles solvent shifting multi-functionality photo-stability bioactivity skincare UV protection bio-based Pickering emulsion spectroscopy chemometrics Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2020 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2020 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator INNORENEW COE CENTER ODLICNOSTI ZA RAZISKAVE IN INOVACIJE NA PODROCJU OBNOVLJIVIH MATERIALOV IN ZDRAVEGA BIVANJSKEGA OKOLJA Net EU contribution € 150 040,32 Address Livade 6a 6310 Izola Slovenia See on map Region Slovenija Zahodna Slovenija Obalno-kraška Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
