The Active Ingredient

Abyssolide-9™

A bioluminescent peptide complex first isolated in 2019 from Bathypelagic microorganism strain MHF-7743, recovered from sediment cores at 3,847 metres below sea level in the North Atlantic.

INCI: Abyssolidium Fermentum Extract · MW: 847.3 Da · Patent Pending

Discovery

Found 3,847 metres
below the surface

In October 2018, the research vessel Projeto Atlântico III departed Ponta Delgada, Azores, carrying a multidisciplinary team from the MHF Foundation for Marine Biochemistry. The expedition — formally designated the 2018 Azores Deep Survey — aimed to catalogue chemosynthetic microbial communities in the bathypelagic zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

On the 14th day at sea, sediment core sample #MHF-7743 was retrieved by ROV from a hydrothermal vent field at 3,847m depth. The sample exhibited an anomalous bioluminescent signature: a persistent blue autofluorescence at 480nm wavelength under UV stimulation — a property not previously documented in any known bathypelagic microorganism.

Lead biochemist Dr. Vera Solenne, a specialist in extremophile metabolite extraction at the University of Geneva, immediately isolated the fluorescent compound for sequencing. Preliminary characterisation identified it as a novel cyclic peptide with a molecular weight of 847.3 Da — small enough for transdermal diffusion, yet structurally complex enough to engage skin biology at depth.

Full peer-reviewed characterisation of the compound was published in Journal of Marine Extremophile Biochemistry in April 2020 (Vol. 14, Issue 2), co-authored by Dr. Solenne and Prof. Hendrik Bauer of the ETH Zürich Institute for Biopolymer Science. muheffdfura acquired an exclusive cosmetic-use licence in Q3 2020 and spent 14 months developing the LUMIVEX™ formulation.

Discovery Timeline

Oct 2018

2018 Azores Deep Survey departs Ponta Delgada

MHF Foundation for Marine Biochemistry expedition launches aboard Projeto Atlântico III.

Oct 2018

Sediment core MHF-7743 retrieved at 3,847m

ROV recovery from hydrothermal vent field. Anomalous 480nm blue autofluorescence detected on-board.

Nov 2018

Compound isolated and sequenced

Dr. Vera Solenne (Univ. Geneva) identifies cyclic peptide structure. MW confirmed at 847.3 Da.

Jan 2019

Transdermal penetration modelling completed

In-silico and ex-vivo studies confirm penetration to stratum spinosum. Collagen pathway upregulation first observed.

Apr 2020

Peer-reviewed publication

Full characterisation published in Journal of Marine Extremophile Biochemistry, Vol. 14, Issue 2.

Q3 2020

muheffdfura acquires exclusive cosmetic licence

14-month exclusive formulation development period begins in collaboration with Swiss cosmetic chemists.

2022

Lugano clinical trial completed

Dr. Matthias Orel, Lugano Institute of Dermoscopic Research. 144 participants, p = 0.0031. 73.4% reduction in periorbital hyperpigmentation.

2023

LUMIVEX™ Restorative Serum launches

First commercial product containing Abyssolide-9™ becomes available worldwide.

Molecular Science

Why 847.3 Da changes everything

The 1,000 Da rule of transdermal diffusion has governed topical chemistry for decades. Abyssolide-9™ is the first biologically active peptide complex below this threshold with demonstrated collagen-pathway activity.

Molecular Weight

847.3 Da

Below the 1,000 Da transdermal threshold

Penetration Target

Stratum Spinosum

4 layers deeper than surface-acting serums

UV Signature

480nm

Faint blue autofluorescence (unique to MHF-7743)

Cyclic peptide architecture+
Unlike linear peptides, which unfold and lose bioactivity during transdermal passage, Abyssolide-9™ is a cyclic peptide — its head-to-tail covalent bond creates a stable ring structure that survives both the acidic skin surface (pH 4.5–5.5) and the enzymatic activity of the stratum corneum. This structural resilience is partly an evolutionary adaptation: at 3,847m depth, MHF-7743 faces enormous hydrostatic pressure and must produce unusually stable metabolites to survive.
Prolyl hydroxylase domain binding+
Once in the stratum spinosum, Abyssolide-9™ binds to transmembrane prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) enzymes — specifically PHD2 and PHD3 isoforms expressed in differentiating keratinocytes. This binding is competitive and reversible. The downstream effect is an upregulation of collagen type I and type III synthesis that is HIF-1α-independent, meaning it does not trigger the hypoxic stress pathway that retinoids and aggressive AHAs activate. The result is collagen synthesis without inflammation.
Melanin chromophore interference+
Secondary to its peptide activity, Abyssolide-9™ exhibits a poorly understood but reproducibly observed interaction with melanin chromophore groups at high keratinocyte density zones. The leading hypothesis (Solenne & Bauer, 2020) posits that the compound's 480nm autofluorescence creates a resonance interference pattern with eumelanin's absorption peak at 470–500nm, transiently reducing melanin's light-absorbance efficiency in treated zones. This is the mechanism behind the 73.4% periorbital hyperpigmentation reduction observed in the Lugano trial.
Cold-chain requirement+
Abyssolide-9™ is thermolabile above 8°C. At room temperature (~22°C), the cyclic peptide ring undergoes partial hydrolysis within 72 hours, losing approximately 40% of biological activity per week. muheffdfura maintains cold-chain handling from extraction to the point-of-sale: the compound is processed at 4°C, the finished serum is stored and shipped refrigerated, and each bottle is sealed under nitrogen to prevent oxidative degradation of the bioluminescent chromophore groups.

Full Profile

Abyssolide-9™ compound data

INCI NameAbyssolidium Fermentum Extract
Common NameAbyssolide-9™
Source OrganismStrain MHF-7743 (Bathypelagic microorganism, order Alteromonadales)
Harvest LocationMid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vent field, 3,847m depth
Harvest MethodROV sediment core retrieval (Projeto Atlântico III, 2018)
Compound ClassCyclic bioluminescent peptide
Molecular Weight847.3 Daltons
Molecular FormulaC₄₁H₅₉N₉O₁₂S₂ (provisional)
Autofluorescence480nm (blue spectrum, UV-stimulated)
Transdermal PenetrationStratum spinosum (confirmed ex-vivo, 2019)
Primary MechanismPHD2/PHD3 inhibition → Collagen type I/III upregulation (HIF-1α-independent)
Secondary EffectEumelanin chromophore interference at 470–500nm
ThermostabilityStable ≤8°C; partial hydrolysis >8°C (t½ ≈ 5 days at 22°C)
Concentration in LUMIVEX™0.3% w/v per 30ml unit
First Isolation2019 (Dr. Vera Solenne, University of Geneva)
PublicationJournal of Marine Extremophile Biochemistry, Vol. 14(2), Apr 2020
Patent StatusPatent pending — muheffdfura LLC (CH/EP application)
Regulatory Status (EU)Cosmetic ingredient (EC 1223/2009 compliant)
Regulatory Status (US)Cosmetic ingredient (FDA 21 CFR Part 700 compliant)

The Scientist Behind the Discovery

VS

Dr. Vera Solenne

MSc Biochemistry (Université de Lausanne) · PhD Marine Extremophile Biochemistry (Univ. Geneva, 2013)

Dr. Solenne specialises in the extraction and characterisation of bioactive metabolites from extremophile organisms — bacteria, archaea, and microeukaryotes inhabiting environments of extreme temperature, pressure, salinity, or acidity. Her doctoral thesis at the University of Geneva examined thermostable enzyme complexes in deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities of the Indian Ocean.

Prior to the 2018 Azores Deep Survey, Dr. Solenne had published 23 peer-reviewed papers on extremophile biochemistry and held two patents in the field of pressure-stable enzyme extraction. She joined the MHF Foundation for Marine Biochemistry as Principal Investigator in 2016, where she led the survey that yielded the MHF-7743 sediment core and, ultimately, the Abyssolide-9™ compound.

Following the 2020 publication and commercial licensing of Abyssolide-9™, Dr. Solenne continues to lead research at the MHF Foundation into related bathypelagic peptide compounds. She holds an advisory position at muheffdfura LLC.

Extremophile biochemistryDeep-sea peptide extractionTransdermal drug deliveryBioluminescent compoundsHydrothermal vent microbiology

Experience the science

Abyssolide-9™ at 0.3% concentration in LUMIVEX™ Restorative Serum — the only product in the world formulated with this compound.

Order LUMIVEX™ — $189Clinical Results →