The Heinz Maurer Award is a prize by Sebapharma GmbH & Co. KG that has been supporting dermatological research since 1996. In 2026, this prize was awarded to Prof. Dr. Natalie Garzorz-Stark and Prof. Dr. Felix Lauffer for their work linking a common skin bacterium to the breakdown of the lipid barrier in eczema. The award recognized their publication, “Skin Lipid-Microbe Interplay Links Staphylococcus hominis to Barrier Control in Adult Atopic Dermatitis,” which was published in Allergy in 2025. The award ceremony took place on July 10, 2026, at the international Summer Academy of Practical Dermatology in Munich, Germany.
Lipotype GmbH is proud to have supported and contributed to their study with our high-resolution lipidomics platform. Using tape-strip samples and Lipotype’s technology, comprehensive and quantitative lipid profiles could be generated without the need for skin biopsies. Next, the researchers compared the lipid profiles with data showing which bacteria were present, allowing them to map out how lipids and microbes interact across the patient group.
These findings establish the lipid-microbiome interface in atopic dermatitis, leading to new ways to research and treat skin diseases, beyond traditional inflammation-focused interventions. You can find more details on the research and its findings in the case study on lipid alterations in atopic dermatitis.
The study was conducted in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (Germany), the University of Freiburg (Germany), the Helmholtz Center Munich (Germany), and the Karolinska Institute (Sweden).
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