Marine holobionts: Novel multi-functionals

ABSTRACT Holism is a philosophical notion that states that systems should be studied in their entirety, with a focus on the interconnections between their various components rather than on the individual parts. The holobiont concept unifies the host-microbiota interaction and invites us to seek holistic solutions for skin health and skin microbiota. In this article we dive into the origin of this concept and the connection between the marine and human holobionts. We also present for the first time a new multifunctional cosmetic ingredient based on the molecular richness of holobionts and the ubiquity of molecules that nature has left us as a gift to combine health and beauty.

Holism is a philosophical notion first proposed by Aristotle in the 4th century BCE. It states that systems should be studied in their entirety, with a focus on the interconnections between their various components rather than on the individual parts. Such systems have emergent properties that result from the behaviour of a system that is greater than the sum of its parts

The key to life is cooperation. From the most primitive photosynthetic life forms through plant and animal organisms, each individual (or macrobiont) is the host that harbours and cooperate with its microbiota. As a whole, each organism is a unique biological functional entity, a system, and must be studied as such.