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This 100% human-identical recombinant Collagen III fragment was developed in collaboration between the two companies and is being commercialized by BASF for the personal care market. The ingredient made its global debut at in-cosmetics Global in April 2026.
SkinNexus™ Collag3n merges Bota's world-leading Physical AI-driven biofoundry capabilities with BASF’s premier technology for cosmetic actives. Drawing on their combined expertise in AI, synthetic biology, skin science, and biomanufacturing, Bota and BASF screened over 2,000 collagen fragments. Candidate evaluation ran in parallel with industrial feasibility validation. This approach closes the loop between discovery and production and illustrates the power that strong partnerships can unleash.
SkinNexus™ Collag3n is a recombinant, vegan Collagen III fragment produced by yeast fermentation with a 100% human-identical sequence. In 3D dermis models, the ingredient was shown to support a healthy environment for full-spectrum collagen homeostasis (+48% Collagen I, +82% Collagen III, +71% Collagen V). Clinical trials on women aged 53 70 showed improvements in sagging and wrinkle appearance 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.
Dr. 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.”
This launch marks an important milestone in the ongoing collaboration between BASF and Bota Biosciences in the field of bio-based innovations for the global market.
About the Care Chemicals division at BASF
The BASF division Care Chemicals (care-chemicals.basf.com) offers a broad range of ingredients for personal care, home care, industrial & institutional cleaning, and technical applications. We are a leading global supplier for the cosmetics industry as well as the detergents and cleaners industry, and support our customers with innovative and sustainable products, solutions and concepts. The division’s high-performance product portfolio includes surfactants, emulsifiers, polymers, emollients, chelating agents, cosmetic active ingredients and UV filters. We have production and development sites in all regions and are expanding our presence in emerging markets.
About BASF
At BASF (basf.com), we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 108,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions.
About Bota Biosciences
Bota Biosciences (bota.bio) is a global leader in Physical AI-driven biomanufacturing, dedicated to making biotechnology a reliable and scalable engine of productivity. By integrating end-to-end capabilities in AI, synthetic biology, and industrialization, Bota pioneers a new paradigm in biomanufacturing research and production. Our world-leading Physical-AI driven biofoundry platform spans strain engineering, process development, and scale-up production translating complex biology into scalable solutions for diverse industries, from food and nutrition to personal care and beyond. Bota partners with global customers to deliver greener, more efficient bio-solutions, accelerating industry-wide adoption and the transition to a sustainable future.
Bota PR Team: E: bota.pr[.]bota.bio.
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annika.mueller[.]basf.com 
