Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Inkbox is a company in Toronto that has commercialized the world's first two-week tattoo. This technology hasx000D
ornamental applications, as well as exciting potential in medical applications. The key to this technology in anx000D
active ingredient derived from a fruit extract called Genipin, which has previously been explored as a non-toxicx000D
crosslinking reagent for tissue engineering and materials science. When Genipin is applied to the skin, itx000D
transforms into a vibrant blue colour. Although the chemistry behind this transformation is not wellx000D
understood, it is believed to bind to the skin by reacting with amino acids, and then undergo furtherx000D
oligomerization reactions to form the vibrant blue colour of the tattoo. In this proposal, we will use a syntheticx000D
"skin mimic" to acquire a better understanding of this reaction process under controlled conditions. Our skinx000D
mimic will comprise a layer of molecules adhered to a solid surface that is amenable to advanced spectroscopicx000D
analysis. We will bind Genipin to the skin mimic and study its reactivity, using spectroscopic data to establishx000D
the binding as well as the subsequent reactions that cause the blue colouration of Inkbox tattoos. These studiesx000D
will help Inkbox optimize its formulation to enhance skin penetration and increase tattoo longevity, and alsox000D
provide insight into how intermolecular interactions may be able to alter the colouration of the product.