Ms. Reigl, what is the big dream behind your projects?
I want to conduct research with TigerShark Science and share it with the public. Science affects us all, but people generally know very little about how it’s done or who the people behind it are.
With our skin models, we aim to advance research and reduce animal testing. At the same time, we provide insights into our experiments, setbacks and next steps.
The idea behind the public-facing laboratory is to create a physical extension of my social media work: a street-level space in Würzburg where people can encounter science in their everyday lives—through livestreams, school field trips or events, for example.
What exactly is the technology behind TigerShark Science?
We develop skin models that resemble human skin more closely than many of the other models used today. At first glance, that may not sound spectacular, but the gap between lab results and human biology poses a major problem for research: Many tests yield good results in the lab that are not later confirmed in humans.
That is why we work with three-dimensional skin models featuring functional hair. Our goal is to make research findings more reliable and to replace animal testing wherever it is no longer necessary.
Our hair-growth assay remains stable for over four weeks, enabling long-term studies and multiple dosing—things that have often been difficult in the past.
This benefits a variety of industries: Cosmetics companies can prove their products' efficacy more convincingly, while pharmaceutical companies can identify side effects earlier and select drug candidates more precisely.
Looking further ahead, we're working on developing models for skin cancer and wound healing, and eventually we even hope to make skin grafts possible.
How did this research idea turn into a company, and how did the name come about?
There wasn’t originally any plan to found a company. I was working on the research concept at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC along with Florian Groeber-Becker and Dieter Groneberg. At first, we just wanted to learn more through the AHEAD program. The team then encouraged us to submit a pitch and pursue the idea more thoroughly.
With 50,000 euros in funding, we were able to refine the idea and assess its viability. Because mastering the technology is one thing, building a biotech startup is quite another—with the search for investors, business plans and financial models.
This was followed by the second phase of the AHEAD program and 1.5 million euros from the EXIST Research Transfer program. With this support, we were able to build a team and develop the processes to the point of market readiness.
The name came about through the AHEAD program, too. The first name we came up with was cryptic, and it was constantly mispronounced. Thinking about our favorite animals led us to tiger and shark, which we then combined with the term “science.” We don’t actually have anything to do with sharks or tigers—but the name is certainly memorable!
What do you feel was particularly special about the Fraunhofer environment?
Fraunhofer gave us a strong customer network, a solid reputation and a vote of confidence. That opens doors for a startup, which is a real luxury.
What influenced me most was the application-oriented mindset. Even during my first internship, I took part in industry meetings and saw firsthand how research turns into solutions when you work directly with customers.
This was key to the company’s founding: A lab result has to be reliable, standardized and reproducible before it can be turned into a product—and that’s a long process.
On top of that, it's easy to collaborate with other institutes. To me, Fraunhofer is like a bouquet of flowers from which you can pick the one that’s just right.
As “diewissenschaftlerin,” you’re very active on social media, too.
I provide a realistic look at everyday life as a researcher—with successful experiments, but also fixed-term contracts, weekend work, complicated grant applications and uncertainty.
Starting a business is risky, too. Despite awards and grants, we’re currently in the middle of a funding round. If that doesn’t work out, the journey could quickly come to an end. When I left Fraunhofer, one thing was clear to me: all in or not at all. I didn’t want to keep one foot in a secure job and just see how the startup would turn out. Of course, it was scary. But if you want to pursue this path, you have to take the plunge at some point and commit to it fully.
At the same time, I want to make research accessible to people without any prior knowledge: in simple language, with as little jargon as possible—but still accurate. The challenge is to create videos that are fun to watch and teach something along the way. As children, we were all curious. I want to tap back into that sense of “why?” and “how does that work?”
How important are role models in your life?
I prefer to compare myself to myself. We don’t all start from the same place. But when I look back at what I was doing a year or twelve years ago, I can see how much I’ve grown.
The bigger the dreams, the better. Only when you feel a little dizzy at the thought that they might actually come true do you know you’re dreaming big enough. Sometimes that’s exactly what happens—though perhaps not quite as you imagined. But even the journey itself can be worthwhile.
Role models are still important, though—especially people in our immediate circle. We can adopt attitudes and behaviors from family, friends or coworkers and use them to develop our own.
Through “diewissenschaftlerin,” I realized that I can be a role model, too. My message is: “If I can do it, so can you,” and that has resonated with young women. Some began studying biology, while others were inspired to persevere—as I’ve learned from the messages I get.
I used to miss seeing women researchers. Instead of makeup tutorials or cooking tips, I wanted to be able to look on social media and see who was doing research and what they were investigating—so I started doing it myself!
How did you get into biology—and how important was it to you to obtain a doctorate?
I’ve always been curious and wanted to know how things work. Biology just felt right to me in school. In the very first lecture of my bachelor’s degree program, my future advisor talked about tissue engineering. At that moment, I thought: “That’s it! Growing skin—wow, that’s what I want to do.” After that, I did everything I could to land an internship in that field. That single lecture led to a master’s thesis, a doctoral dissertation and eventually even my own startup.
The doctorate means a lot to me, even though I’m not pursuing a traditional academic career path. It proves expertise and shows that I’ve successfully completed a project spanning several years. On a personal level, my dissertation defense was a very special moment for me: I’m the first person in my family to have obtained a doctorate, and I come from a family with no academic background. My parents were obviously very proud of me. Part of the reason you choose a path like this is for your family.
How important are networks in the journey from a research idea to a startup?
My start with the alumni network was a very positive experience for me, too. When we were up for the Bavarian Founder Award, the community helped raise our profile and rally support. That’s when I realized just how valuable the network’s support can be.
But beyond that, networks are also incredibly important for startups. They offer a chance to exchange ideas with other founders, plus visibility and access to potential investors. It always takes a whole village to succeed. In the case of Fraunhofer spin-offs in particular, an alumni network can help bring together experience, contacts and trust.
Ultimately, I want to make the process visible—not just the final result, but the journey itself: the idea, the setbacks, the small steps forward and the upcoming milestones. It can be enormously encouraging for people to see how research works, how starting a business works and how an idea can slowly grow into something bigger.
For me, the same principle applies here: “If I can do it, so can you.” Not because everyone has to follow the same path, but because seeing someone else succeed can be inspiring. Big dreams just take a little longer.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft