Outer Bio Uses Human Skin to Train AI with Haus Labs

Outer Bio, founded in 2020 in Massachusetts by Michael Polansky, trains AI models on data derived from human skin samples. The company claims it can maintain living skin for four weeks using its Yuna platform and is already working with partners, including Haus Labs, the brand of Lady Gaga, who also sits on the board of Outer Bio.

Polansky Targets Applications and Relies on Partners

Outer Bio has established partnerships with companies capable of transforming its bioactive ingredients into products. Michael Polansky explains that he wants to leverage discoveries that have immediate commercial or human relevance. Haus Labs, Lady Gaga's cosmetics brand, was one of the first partners. Michael Polansky serves on the board of this brand and emphasizes that the partnership is unique, as both he and Stefani Germanotta are involved in both entities. He specifies that Outer Bio is also collaborating with other beauty companies on projects distinct from those conducted with Haus Labs, and believes that Haus Labs' innovation ambitions are their own. Michael Polansky asserts that Outer Bio can advance the skin health industry as well as machine learning applied to biology. He describes the scientific and technical challenge as very difficult and believes that the time invested is worthwhile as it opens up numerous possibilities.

A Data-AI Loop on Living Human Skin

Outer Bio uses data from human skin samples to train its AI models. In 2022, the company designed Yuna, a R&D tool that, according to them, is capable of preserving living human skin of full thickness visibly for four weeks. The platform relies particularly on a structure created through 3D printing that provides nutrients to the tissues and removes waste. The samples come from hospitals, biobanks, and research centers, typically from residual tissues from surgical interventions or elective procedures. The tissues are processed in-house, with a single piece being cut into dozens of samples before being placed in custom culture plates. The AI models then predict potential bioactive or toxic effects, and the experimental results are reinjected into the models to improve their predictions. Michael Polansky presents data collection as the compass of the company and believes that innovation in biology progresses too slowly without better data.

Targeted Study Areas for Skin

Outer Bio focuses its work on wound healing, pigmentation, chronic inflammation, aging, and skin barrier function. Michael Polansky indicates that samples are frequently collected throughout the month to gather data at different stages, and that each experimental protocol differs based on the issues studied and the available information before moving to a data generation phase. The use of these devices addresses several constraints: testing on living subjects is heavily regulated and ethically delicate, artificial skin and organoids do not provide the same information as real skin, and skin outside the body can deteriorate quickly, complicating long-term studies.

Governance, Timeline, and Expected Outcomes

Michael Polansky co-founded Outer Bio, which collaborates with Haus Labs, and Lady Gaga sits on the board of Outer Bio. Founded in 2020 and based in Massachusetts, the company studies human skin to identify bioactive ingredients, with targeted applications ranging from pharmaceuticals to beauty. Michael Polansky mentions the possibility of providing proprietary active ingredients to products distributed by other players, citing brands like Ulta or CVS. He explains that Outer Bio has voluntarily delayed its public communication until it had data deemed publishable, marking this turning point at the end of last month. On August 21, Lady Gaga, under her name Stefani Germanotta, stated on X, "We are building the future of skin health" and welcomed everyone on behalf of the team. Alongside this project, Michael Polansky has co-founded a philanthropic organization, launched a venture capital firm, led an asset management company, got engaged to Lady Gaga, was nominated for Grammy Awards for seven co-written tracks on Mayhem, and the couple welcomed their first child.