Research
We follow skin lipids all the way from individual molecules to a functioning barrier. We design and synthesize unusual skin lipids, analyse complex skin lipidomes, investigate how lipids organize and move, and study how these molecular properties translate into barrier function in models and human skin.
Barrier organization & dynamics
The skin barrier is not a conventional lipid bilayer. Its lipids form highly organized multilamellar structures in which individual molecules can differ remarkably in their mobility and interactions. We investigate how ceramides, cholesterol and free fatty acids assemble into the skin lipid barrier and how molecular structure determines lipid organization, dynamics and ultimately barrier function. A particular focus is on ultralong ω-O-acylceramides and lipids covalently attached to the corneocyte surface. We combine tailor-made and isotopically labelled lipids with advanced biophysical methods including solid-state NMR, X-ray and neutron diffraction, infrared and Raman spectroscopy.
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Skin lipidomics
The skin barrier depends not only on how its lipids are organized, but also on having the right lipids in the right place. We use targeted lipidomics to characterize the remarkably complex lipid composition of the skin, with a particular focus on ceramides and their precursors. Using LC-MS/MS, we investigate how the skin lipidome changes during barrier formation, in disease, and in response to drugs and environmental factors. By connecting lipid composition with biophysical and functional measurements, we aim to understand which molecular changes matter for the barrier – rather than simply describing which lipids increase or decrease.
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Barrier damage & repair
A healthy skin barrier depends on a finely balanced lipid composition and organization. Disease or environmental stress can disturb both. We study how changes in lipid synthesis, composition and organization compromise the skin barrier and how these alterations can be reversed. Our work ranges from inherited defects of epidermal lipid metabolism to acquired barrier damage and environmental influences. We use human skin, reconstructed epidermal models and simplified lipid systems to identify the molecular origins of barrier dysfunction and explore whether missing or altered lipids can be replaced to restore barrier function.
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Topical & transdermal drug delivery
The same barrier that protects us so effectively also prevents most medicines from entering the skin. Can we overcome it selectively without destroying it? We investigate how drugs and formulation components interact with skin lipids at the molecular level and how these interactions affect drug penetration. We are particularly interested in permeation enhancers and lipid-based delivery systems that transiently and selectively modify the barrier. By combining molecular and biophysical studies with permeation experiments in human skin, we aim to connect the mechanism of barrier modulation with its practical consequences for topical and transdermal drug delivery.
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