Key facts
- Michael Polansky, partner to Lady Gaga, founded AI and biology startup Outer Biosciences.
- Outer Biosciences has developed a method to keep living human skin viable outside the body for up to a month.
- The company sources discarded human skin from surgeries through vetted biobanks and brokers.
- The tissue is de-identified and kept alive using a proprietary nutrient and waste removal system.
- Outer Biosciences uses this living tissue to train AI models, allowing researchers to study biological processes over weeks.
- This approach aims to overcome limitations of animal models and simplified cell cultures in biological research.
Michael Polansky, known for his association with Lady Gaga and his role as founder of the AI and biology startup Outer Biosciences, is pioneering a novel approach to biological research. Outer Biosciences focuses on keeping living human skin viable outside the body for extended periods, up to a month, which is significantly longer than the industry norm of a few days.
The company sources discarded human skin, primarily from plastic surgery, through vetted biobanks and brokers that operate under institutional review board oversight and with documented donor consent. Polansky emphasizes that the tissue is de-identified upstream and that Outer Biosciences pays fees on a cost-recovery basis. His team developed a proprietary system to provide nutrients and remove waste, maintaining the tissue's viability and preserving its molecular programs.
This extended viability allows Outer Biosciences to use the living tissue to train AI models. Researchers can induce controlled experimental conditions, such as UVB damage, and observe the subsequent biological responses over weeks. Polansky believes this method offers a more accurate representation of human biology than traditional proxies like animal models or simplified cell cultures, which are often poor stand-ins for actual human organ behavior.
Polansky, who studied applied mathematics and computer science at Harvard and previously worked at Bridgewater Associates and Founders Fund, transitioned into life sciences through his work with Sean Parker in cancer immunotherapy. He sees the slower pace of innovation in biology compared to software as a challenge that Outer Biosciences' approach aims to address by enabling more ethical and effective experimentation.