In 2001, with some understanding of scalp ecology, Dawson's team began looking into lipase metabolism of M. globosa and soon identified LIP1, the gene it uses to break down scalp oils (J Invest Dermatol, 127:2138-46, 2007). The chemical engineers capitalized on this discovery by synthesizing a lipase inhibitor, which they soon tested on human subjects. Dawson refuses to disclose how much improvement they've achieved over current formulations of Head & Shoulders but says, "It was statistically significant."

It must have been. Within a year, Procter & Gamble was moving full speed ahead with their biotech capabilities, contracting with Integrated Genomics in Chicago to sequence the entire genome of M. globosa. P&G bioinformatics expert Jun Xu's analysis revealed that the M. globosa genome was tiny, consisting of only 4,285 genes, and it completely lacked the ability to synthesize fatty acids on its own. Instead, the genome contained sequences for 12 hydrolases, which break down oils and could all become potential targets for anti-dandruff compounds. The company patented the 12 genes for their anti-dandruff promise.