Viktoriia Lyzhniuk, Junior Researcher at the L.M. Lytvynenko Institute of Physical-Organic Chemistry and Coal Chemistry of the NAS of Ukraine, Chairwoman of the Council of Young Scientists of the Institute, participated in the international 8th ESP Photobiology School, held in Bressanone (Brixen), Italy on June 15-20, 2026.
The school was organized by the European Society for Photobiology (ESP) with the support of the University of Padua and IQS – University Ramon Llull. Leading European scientists in the fields of photobiology, photochemistry, photophysics, photomedicine, and dermatology conducted training program.
The program covered modern research focus areas, including human photobiology, photomedicine, photodynamic therapy, photopharmacology, biophotonics, photoprotection, optogenetics, spectroscopic and microscopic research methods.
This year, 49 young researchers from 22 countries participated in the school. Viktoriia Lyzhniuk was the sole representative of Ukraine and, based on the results of the competitive selection, received a scholarship from the organizers to participate in the event.
During the poster session, the scientist presented the research "Enhancing the photoprotective properties of cosmetic products using natural boosters: a comparative research on PMMA plates and VITRO-SKIN®," dedicated to improving the photoprotective properties of cosmetic products using a natural oil booster.
The obtained results demonstrated the possibility to increase the protection level of sunscreens from SPF 30 to SPF 50. To verify the effectiveness of the developed composition, the researchers used both standard polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plates according to the international standard ISO 24443 and the artificial skin model VITRO-SKIN®, which allowed increasing the reliability of the photoprotective properties assessment and bringing laboratory tests closer to real conditions of cosmetic product application.
The practical significance of the work lies in the possibility of improving sunscreen formulations by partially replacing organic ultraviolet filters with the developed natural booster.
After completing the training program, participants took a final exam. Based on the results of the final test, Viktoriia Lyzhniuk successfully confirmed a high level of material mastery and received a certificate of completion of the course.
Information is provided by the L.M. Lytvynenko Institute of Physical-Organic Chemistry and Coal Chemistry
