Fragrance Meets Biology In The Next Great Scent Revolution

Perfume has always blended memory, imagination, and chemistry. But when it embraces biotechnology, it becomes a living science. The integration of biosynthesis, enzyme engineering, and microbiome research is redefining how fragrances are made, how they evolve on the skin, and how long they last

Akigalawood — the name alone sounded mysterious. I first encountered it while attending the IFRA (International Fragrance Association) Global Conference in Singapore, the world’s most influential gathering of perfumers, chemists, and fragrance innovators.

A quick search revealed that Akigalawood is not extracted from any tree. It is a biosynthetic molecule, developed by Givaudan, one of the largest fragrance houses in the world. Created through biotechnology, Akigalawood has a warm, spicy, woody scent reminiscent of patchouli, oud, and pepper, with faint floral undertones.

Holding that small bottle, I realised I was experiencing more than just a new fragrance — I was witnessing the future of perfumery, where art meets biotechnology.

Biosynthetic perfumes: The science behind the scent

The perfume industry is expanding at a phenomenal rate, growing 15-25% annually. Such growth demands vast quantities of fragrance ingredients, and nature alone cannot keep up. Producing just one kg of rose oil requires 5,000 kg of petals; jasmine oil needs nearly seven million buds. Obtaining oud oil from agarwood trees takes years of cultivation.

Today, nearly 70% of a perfumer’s palette is made up of synthetic molecules. Biosynthesis (or biotechnological perfumery) offers a transformative solution. Scientists identify the genes and enzymes that create natural aromatic compounds in plants and introduce them into microorganisms such as yeast or bacteria. These microbes are then cultured in fermentation tanks, producing the same fragrance molecules sustainably and reproducibly.

Perfume creation has entered an era of bio-fermentation and molecular precision, where scent molecules like Akigalawood are born not from petals or wood, but from bioreactors — beautiful intersections of chemistry, genetics, and imagination.

Skin microbiome: Perfume that lives with you

Another scientific frontier shaping modern perfumery is the skin microbiome — the trillions of microorganisms that inhabit our skin and subtly influence how each fragrance unfolds. Every perfume interacts with this living layer, creating a scent uniquely ours.

Swiss fragrance company DSM-Firmenich has pioneered this concept through Haloscent Pure You, the world’s first microbiome-activated fragrance. Its pro-fragrance molecules remain dormant until triggered by bacterial enzymes on the skin. When we sweat or warm up, microbial activity increases, activating the scent; as the skin cools, the perfume quietens again.

This elegant on-and-off system means a perfume that performs only when needed, extending longevity and personalising the olfactory experience. It is perfumery that literally responds to life — the perfect union of art and biology.

Fragrance that respects the skill

Givaudan has further advanced this philosophy with its Z-Biome platform, the first fragrance technology specifically designed to support a healthy skin microbiome. Using genomic and biochemical tools, scientists identify materials that do not disturb the skin’s natural flora.

The outcome is a generation of fragrances and deodorants that work with the skin’s biology instead of against it — scents that are as gentle as they are sophisticated. Perfumery, once an art of extraction, is becoming an art of coexistence.

Microbiome-friendly deodorants: A new direction

Even the humble deodorant is undergoing a quiet revolution. Traditional deodorants suppress odour by killing bacteria, often disturbing the skin’s microbial balance. Now, leading fragrance companies are replacing this old approach with microbiome-friendly science.

Symrise, through its SymProBiome platform, has developed SymDeo B125, which targets the biochemical process of odour formation without disrupting the underarm microbiome. Similarly, Neutral Plus, introduced by French house Robertet, does not destroy bacteria at all. Instead, they neutralise the malodorous molecules produced by skin microbes.

Together, these innovations represent a major shift — from fighting our microbes to collaborating with them. Deodorant science is moving from antibacterial warfare to biological harmony, aligning freshness with skin health and sustainability.

Future of fragrance: Art meets biotechnology

Perfume has always been an art — a blend of memory, imagination, and chemistry. But when it embraces biotechnology, it becomes a living science. The integration of biosynthesis, enzyme engineering, and microbiome research is redefining how fragrances are made, how they evolve on the skin, and how long they last.

This transformation is not only sensory but economic. The global perfume and deodorant industry, valued at more than $70 billion, is entering a biotechnology-driven era that will change how we think of scent — from static formulas to responsive biological experiences.

And India, the land where perfumery was born, must not be left behind. The ancient steam-distillation method, known as deg bhapka, originated in the Indus Valley Civilization around 3,500 BC. Our ancestors pioneered the extraction of natural aromas. Yet, today, India remains a modest player in high-tech perfumery — the kind that combines art with molecular biology, genomics, and sustainability.

If India wishes to reclaim its place on the global fragrance map, it must invest in the biotechnological aspects of perfumery — biosynthetic molecule research, enzyme technology, microbial fermentation, and skin microbiome science. The fragrances of tomorrow will emerge not only from rose fields but from laboratories where perfumers and biotechnologists work side by side.