SECTION 01 / FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Every question we get about the bio-melanin platform, the six product lines, the Parkinson's research program, partnering with the team, and the company — collected on a single page. Last updated 28 May 2026.
SECTION 02 / Platform & science
The platform and the science
What bio-melanin is, why a single molecule powers six product lines, and what Crudo Labs has built around it.
- What is Crudo Labs and what does it do?
- Crudo Labs is a bioengineered-melanin company producing high-purity bio-melanin at industrial scale for coatings, energy, optics, skincare, and neuroscience. We manufacture the material and build our own products on top of it. The idea is simple: melanin is one of nature's most versatile materials, and Crudo Labs is among the first to make it pure and scalable, so a single biomaterial can serve six very different markets.
- What is bio-melanin?
- Bio-melanin is melanin produced through biological engineering rather than extracted from animals or synthesized from petrochemicals. It is the same family of pigment molecules that protect skin, eyes, and feathers in nature, but made to a defined, high-purity grade at industrial scale. Crudo Labs produces bio-melanin so that industries can use a consistent, nature-identical material instead of relying on scarce natural sources or lower-performing synthetic substitutes.
- What is eumelanin?
- Eumelanin is the dark brown-to-black form of melanin and the form with the strongest UV and radical-scavenging properties. It is the form Crudo Labs engineers.
- Why is melanin so versatile across different industries?
- Melanin is versatile because a single molecule performs many jobs that industries usually need separate materials for: it absorbs UV and visible light, scavenges free radicals, shields against radiation, conducts in certain states, and provides durable pigmentation. Crudo Labs treats bio-melanin as a platform biomaterial — one material that unlocks coatings, sun protection, anti-aging, solar energy, satellite optics, and neuroscience research.
- How does Crudo Labs make melanin pure and at scale?
- Crudo Labs uses a proprietary process to produce high-purity eumelanin to a defined grade, batch after batch, at lot-level consistency. That enables industrial volumes that natural extraction cannot reach. The material is characterised by 1H NMR, mass spectrometry, and FT-IR; lot-level characterization data is shared with collaborators under NDA.
- What is proprietary or patented about Crudo Labs technology?
- Crudo Labs' production process is the subject of a process-patent application filed in 2024, with additional filings in preparation. The defensibility comes from the combination of consistent purity, scalable volume, and application know-how across multiple industries — hard for a commodity supplier to replicate.
- Is Crudo Labs bio-melanin approved for cosmetic and commercial use?
- Crudo Labs develops its bio-melanin to meet the safety and regulatory standards required for its target markets, and regulatory status varies by application and region. Cosmetic, coatings, and energy applications follow different approval pathways than medical research, and the Parkinson's program is research-stage and not regulated as a treatment. For the exact regulatory standing of a specific use case, talk to our team.
SECTION 03 / Applications
Bio-melanin across six product lines
Two questions per vertical. The platform is the same — the property melanin contributes changes from market to market.
CoatingsSee vertical →
- What does melanin do in a coating?
- In a coating, bio-melanin absorbs UV and visible light and scavenges free radicals, which helps protect the coated surface from photodegradation, oxidation, and color loss while providing durable pigmentation.
- Why use bio-melanin instead of synthetic UV additives?
- Bio-melanin combines UV absorption, antioxidant radical scavenging, and durable color in a single nature-identical material produced to a consistent high-purity grade. That lets Crudo build coatings on one platform instead of stacking and balancing multiple synthetic additives.
Anti-aging skincareSee vertical →
- How does melanin work in anti-aging skincare?
- Melanin is a natural antioxidant that scavenges free radicals, the reactive molecules associated with oxidative stress in skin. Bio-melanin lets Crudo build that mechanism into its skincare as a nature-identical active.
- Is Crudo Labs bio-melanin a natural cosmetic ingredient?
- Crudo Labs bio-melanin is nature-identical, produced through biological engineering to match the melanin found in nature, then purified to a consistent grade for cosmetic formulation.
Sun protectionSee vertical →
- How does melanin protect against the sun?
- Melanin absorbs ultraviolet light across a broad band of the spectrum and dissipates the energy safely. It is the pigment the body uses for its own UV defense, which is why it is described as nature's own sunscreen.
- Is bio-melanin a natural alternative to synthetic UV filters?
- Bio-melanin is a nature-identical, UV-absorbing ingredient that lets brands formulate broad-spectrum sun care without certain synthetic chemical filters, made to a consistent high-purity grade.
Satellite opticsSee vertical →
- Why is melanin considered for radiation shielding?
- Melanin is found in organisms that survive high-radiation environments, and its molecular structure helps absorb and dissipate radiation energy. That natural shielding property makes it a candidate material for protecting components exposed to radiation.
- How could melanin protect satellite optics?
- Optical lenses in orbit degrade under constant radiation and cannot be replaced. Bio-melanin's radiation-shielding behavior is being explored as a protective layer to help extend the working life of those optics.
SolarSee vertical →
- Can melanin be used in solar panels?
- Melanin absorbs a broad band of light and conducts charge in certain states — the two properties a photovoltaic material needs. That makes it a candidate material for next-generation, bio-based solar, an active area of research rather than a finished product.
- What is bio-photovoltaics?
- Bio-photovoltaics use biologically derived materials, such as bio-melanin, to convert light into electricity. Crudo Labs explores melanin's light-absorbing and semiconducting behavior as a building block for these cells.
SECTION 04 / Parkinson's program
The Parkinson's program
Long-horizon, preclinical research. Not a therapy. Not a product. The hedging here is intentional.
- What is the Crudo Labs Parkinson's program?
- The Crudo Labs Parkinson's program is an early-stage, ambitious research effort exploring the role of neuromelanin in Parkinson's disease. It is not an available treatment and makes no claim of a cure. The scientific rationale: neuromelanin is a melanin-based pigment found in the brain regions most affected by Parkinson's, and its loss is closely associated with the disease. This is our moonshot — visionary, long-horizon research, not a therapy you can buy today.
- Is bio-melanin a treatment or cure for Parkinson's?
- No. Bio-melanin is not a treatment, therapy, or cure for Parkinson's disease, and it is not available to purchase as one. The program is long-horizon scientific research, not medicine.
- What is neuromelanin and how is it related to Parkinson's?
- Neuromelanin is a melanin-based pigment found in dopaminergic neurons of the brain. Parkinson's disease is associated with the loss of these neuromelanin-rich neurons, which is the scientific rationale Crudo Labs explores. This is an association studied in research, not a demonstrated treatment mechanism.
SECTION 05 / Partnering & investing
Partnerships, investment, and evaluation
Investing, partnering, or evaluating BioMelanin together — the fastest way to start any of these conversations is to email the team.
- Can I evaluate Crudo Labs bio-melanin for a joint program?
- Yes. Crudo Labs partners with qualification-stage collaborators across optics, cosmetics, and research to validate BioMelanin in real applications. Evaluation material is provided per program, with characterization data under NDA. Email info@crudolabs.com with your use case to start the conversation.
- How do I partner with or invest in Crudo Labs?
- Email info@crudolabs.com. Crudo Labs works with investors and strategic partners backing the products it builds on the platform, and with collaborators who want to validate BioMelanin in coatings, skincare, sun protection, solar, or optics.
- How do I contact Crudo Labs?
- Email the team at info@crudolabs.com. Tell us who you are — investor, partner, or collaborator — and what you are exploring, and we will respond with the right next step.
SECTION 06 / Company
About Crudo Labs
Who built the company, where it sits, and why the platform is defensible.
- Who founded Crudo Labs?
- Crudo Labs was co-founded in 2024 by Felipe Gil Gutierrez (Chief Executive Officer) and Ieva Sibilla Strupule (Chief Operating Officer).
- What makes Crudo Labs' technology defensible?
- The advantage is a proprietary process for producing high-purity bio-melanin at scale, combined with application know-how across multiple industries — difficult for a commodity supplier to replicate. The production process is the subject of a process-patent application filed in 2024, with additional filings in preparation.
SECTION 07 / Reach us
Question not here?
Email info@crudolabs.com. Tell us who you are and what you are exploring, and we will respond with the right next step.