From Nobel Prize–Winning Chemistry to Professional Skinboosters
In October 2025, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Professor Omar M. Yaghi and colleagues for the development of Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) – an entirely new class of highly porous molecular architectures capable of selectively capturing and protecting target molecules.
While MOFs were originally developed for advanced applications such as gas storage, carbon capture, and environmental materials, this same molecular design concept has now entered the field of professional skincare – including the material-science platform behind PLLACUBE®.
Dr. Kyungmin Choi & the Yaghi Lab Connection
PLLACUBE® is developed by LabInCube Co., Ltd., a Korean biomaterial R&D company founded by Professor Kyungmin Choi of Sookmyung Women’s University’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Early in his career, Dr. Choi conducted postdoctoral research in the MOF laboratory of Professor Omar M. Yaghi at the University of California, Berkeley. This world-leading MOF research environment — later recognized by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry — provided the scientific foundation for Dr. Choi’s work in MOF-inspired material science.
According to Sookmyung Women’s University’s tech holding company, this research connection evolved into a formal technology advisory agreement between LabInCube and Professor Yaghi. Leveraging this collaboration, LabInCube successfully adapted MOF-related concepts into consumer and aesthetic applications.
World’s First Commercialization of MOF Concepts into Daily-Life Products
For many years, MOF technology was mainly used in fields such as petrochemicals, semiconductors, and environmental engineering. A university report notes that in 2024 LabInCube became the first company worldwide to commercialize MOF-based material science in everyday products – bringing high-level chemistry into real-world applications.
This milestone represents a shift: MOF-inspired architectures are no longer exclusive to academic or industrial settings but are now being translated into solutions for air-care, beauty, and health products. One major outcome is the proprietary InCube™ Protection Technology used in PLLACUBE®.
InCube™ Protection Technology Inside PLLACUBE®
PLLACUBE® is a next-generation skinbooster combining Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA), PDRN, Vitamin C, Glutathione, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, and Hyaluronic Acid. Behind this formula is a patented material-science system known as InCube™ Protection Technology.
Inspired by MOF-like structural principles, InCube™ creates a controlled micro-environment that helps:
- Encapsulate and shield vulnerable cosmetic ingredients such as Vitamin C and Glutathione from premature oxidation.
- Support ingredient integrity and freshness throughout production, storage, and application.
- Provide a more consistent user experience by maintaining stability of key actives in every vial.
This technology is protected by international patent (Patent No. 10-2488551) and represents a new approach to cosmetic stabilization that integrates advanced material science with professional skincare needs.
What This Means for Clinics in Canada & North America
For medical spas and aesthetic clinics, PLLACUBE® represents more than a multi-ingredient skinbooster — it embodies the translation of Nobel Prize–winning material science into a practical, clinic-ready product.
- A formulation developed by a team with direct experience in a Nobel-recognized MOF research environment.
- A patented stabilization platform designed to protect sensitive cosmetic ingredients.
- A 5th-generation skinbooster concept that brings scientific innovation into real-world treatment settings.
Full Scientific Document (PDF)
References
JoongAng News / Sookmyung Women’s University Tech Holdings – feature on LabInCube Co., Ltd. and MOF commercialization (2024).
NobelPrize.org – 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) – Omar M. Yaghi and co-laureates.
LabInCube Scientific Document (PDF): MOF → InCube™ → PLLACUBE® Technical Explanation
