The work of five Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management students in the School of Graduate Studies, which was accepted for display at the SUNY Graduate Poster Symposium, has also been selected to be presented as the keynote at the New York Legislature’s concurrent session in Albany. The project, titled “Sequence,” details a business plan to create fragrances for individuals based on their DNA. Nicolas Vissat will present on behalf of the group.
The annual symposium, sponsored by the SUNY Faculty Senate, brings together some of the most talented graduate scholars in the State University of New York and City University of New York systems. It is an open forum in which students set up large placards describing their projects and elaborate on them for attendees. The event is an opportunity for students to present their research and creative academic projects to a large audience, including SUNY administration officials, members of the State Legislature, the public, and one another, fostering opportunities for future collaboration.
Read the abstract for the project:
SEQUENCE: BESPOKE DNA-BASED FRAGRANCE
The harnessing of big data has revolutionized the marketing industry’s approach to targeting consumers; however, the next frontier in personalizing products for consumers remains virtually untapped: leveraging individual genetic data. Hidden within the DNA sequence of each person is an exponential amount of information that can describe everything from heritage to health. There is an enormous opportunity to decode the meaning of an individual’s DNA mapping and translate it into products and services customized just for them.
This research summarizes the existing work that has been done to connect DNA with scent and then goes a step further to lay out a road map for a new brand that would leverage future research in the field to create personalized DNA-based fragrances for consumers.
Inspired by the story of each consumer, Sequence would read the genetic story of each individual to create the ultimate bespoke fragrance. The story of each individual’s hereditary past would inspire a combination of flavors, notes and traits most likely to appeal to them. The final product would be a stunning presentation of a fragrance that would be as personalized as a fingerprint.
This work lays the groundwork for one avenue by which the global fragrance market could be completely disrupted in the near future.
The poster symposium will be held in the Legislative Office Building in Albany; Stephan Kanlian, professor, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management, and Lisa Wager, director of Community and Government Relations, will also attend.