United States

ELC Announces Collaboration with MIT’s Langer and Jaklenec Labs to Research Sustainability and Biotech Innovation in Cosmetics

Collaborates with renowned Langer Lab on biotechnology and materials science research

Press Release

NEW YORK, New York, January 29, 2025 – The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (ELC) is proud to announce a collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and its laboratory led by the renowned Dr. Robert Langer to research innovation in cosmetics. ELC is funding this promising research led by Dr. Ana Jaklenec, principal investigator at MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research —and in close collaboration with Dr. Langer— to research the development of biodegradable materials for cosmetic applications and explore new solutions to combat the effects of visible light from the sun. This collaborative research with MIT complements ELC’s core competencies and expertise in skin science, biotechnology, and more.  

“Fostering strategic collaborations with world-leading scientific and academic institutions has long been a critical approach to driving innovation at The Estée Lauder Companies and enables us to remain at the forefront of research,” said Carl Haney, Executive Vice President, Research, Product and Innovation Officer, ELC. “We are proud to collaborate with exceptional scientists who are exploring new frontiers in sustainability and innovation. Dr. Jaklenec’s research is demonstrating it’s possible to develop a new class of materials that can offer various transformative applications.”  

With funding from ELC, Dr. Jaklenec will test her recently developed class of biodegradable materials for cosmetic applications. The initiative aims to further forge ELC’s leadership in green chemistry —an area in which it has been a pioneer for over a decade— while ensuring high efficacy and performance. The collaboration will also explore possible new solutions to help combat the effects that visible sunlight and blue light have on the skin. Leveraging cutting-edge emerging chemical technologies, this research will focus on developing dispersible, stable, and formulation-compatible materials to block visible light effectively and protect consumers from visible light-induced pigmentation and potential photodamage. 

ELC’s R&D Advanced Technology Pioneering team is collaborating closely with Dr. Jaklenec and her team of doctoral candidates, including Linzixuan (Rhoda) Zhang, on these research projects. Dr. Langer, a visionary biotechnology and engineering scientist, serves as an advisor to the research. 

“As scientists, we deeply value the opportunity to translate our work from the lab to the real world,” said Dr. Jaklenec. “With this new collaboration, we look forward to exploring the potential ways our research can lead to sustainable and innovative materials that drive impactful advancements in skin health." 

ELC and MIT share a commitment to breakthrough scientific innovation and developing cutting-edge sustainability solutions.  Through this collaboration, ELC is committed to driving scientific innovation in prestige beauty while helping advance sustainability. 

With R&D and Innovation Centers around the world, ELC's scientists have multidisciplinary expertise ranging from basic science and advanced technologies to the intersections of physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. ELC R&D has 75 years of formulation authority and is deeply integrated into the scientific community, regularly presenting at leading events, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, including the company’s publication of its green chemistry methodology 
in Green Chemistry, and partnering with leading scientists, institutions, and academia across a broad array of sectors. ELC’s R&D team consistently aims to develop the next generation of transformative, science-driven prestige beauty products, packaging, and experiences that deliver exceptional quality and performance for our consumers around the world. 


About The Estée Lauder Companies  

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.   

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