What chemical signals does human skin produce when a person feels fear? UNIST is set to tackle this question through a new global collaborative research project.
The Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) announced Wednesday that Professor Yoon Hye-jin has been selected for the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Accelerator Grant. Only seven Korean researchers were named to the HFSP this year, and just two were selected for the Accelerator track.
HFSP is a program that identifies creative and challenging multinational collaborative research in the life sciences. Since its launch in 1989, it has supported more than 8,500 researchers across 73 countries. The program has produced 31 Nobel laureates among its beneficiaries, earning it the nickname "Nobel Prize Fund." The Accelerator Grant, in particular, operates by adding new researchers to existing teams to expand the scope of research, and is considered one of the most competitive funding programs.
Professor Yoon's project is titled "Research on Skin Microbiota and Host Metabolism Interactions that Generate Chemical Signals of Fear." The core objective is to reveal how volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from the skin when a person experiences fear are produced, and what roles skin microbiota and human metabolism play in the process.
The interaction between skin microbiota and host metabolism is believed to be involved in the process by which the emotion of fear leads to chemical signals released from the skin. Professor Yoon plans to trace the pathways through which these two factors combine to produce fear signals. The study will span metabolomics, microbiome research and chemical ecology to uncover the underlying mechanisms.
The research will be conducted jointly with researchers from the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada. Professor Yoon will receive approximately $100,000 per year in research funding over the next two years. The project is also seen as broadening the foundation for collaboration with European and North American researchers and laying the groundwork for follow-up international joint studies.
"The core of this research is to reveal at the molecular level how emotions such as fear are converted into chemical signals on the skin, and what roles skin microbiota and host metabolism play in that process," Professor Yoon said. "We will offer a new explanation of the biological transmission pathways of emotions by connecting metabolites, the microbiome and chemical ecology."
UNIST President Park Jong-rae said, "The fact that UNIST has produced an HFSP grant recipient for the first time demonstrates the international competitiveness of our early-career researchers. We will support young researchers in pursuing original topics and achieving global-class results."
Meanwhile, UNIST has been steadily pursuing efforts to secure EU-funded programs including Horizon Europe, through briefing sessions with invited National Contact Points (NCPs), special lectures by EU evaluators, and building cooperative networks with European embassies in Korea.
