Sunscreen after the model of coral

Australian researchers are developing sunscreen with sunscreen filters from corals of the Great Barrier Reef

07/31/2013

Scientists worldwide are looking for a more effective sunscreen as skin cancer rates have been rising steadily for years. Australian researchers have now apparently made a breakthrough. They developed according to their own information „a new generation of sunscreen“ in collaboration with an Australian personal care company. The scientists were inspired by corals of the Great Barrier Reef. These have special filters to protect against harmful UV radiation. According to researchers, these filters for the novel sunscreen have been modified and adapted for humans.

Corals have had effective sun protection for millennia
To find a more effective defense against harmful UV rays in sunscreen milk, Australian researchers used the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. For the cnidarians have been using special filters for millions of years to protect themselves from the damaging effects of solar radiation. The scientists mimicked these filters and incorporated them into a novel sunscreen that is said to be effective in humans. The Australian Science Authority CSIRO said on Tuesday. The filters are transparent, odorless and very stable.

„This breakthrough is paving the way for a new generation of sunscreen creams with filters like the corals of the Great Barrier Reef have evolved over millions of years, "the CSIRO writes in a statement. „The new UV filters protect against UVA and UVB radiation and are transparent and colorless, which means that they can be used for creams and emulsions.“ Scientists at the agency have spent the past two years adjusting the special coral sunscreen for humans. Altogether a number of 48 new sunscreen filters had been developed, according to the authority. This result is based on the work of the scientists of the Marine Research Institute „AIMS“, who have spent the last 20 years researching the sunscreen filter of corals in the Great Barrier Reef.

„The molecular structure of the coral's natural sunscreen was complex, but the real challenge was to modify it to protect against both UVA and UVB in one molecule, making this filter unique“, explained Dr. Mark York, who is working on the project with CSIRO Jack Ryan leads.

„This is another example of providing research findings from AIMS researchers on the use of Australia's tropical marine resources in an innovative and beneficial way“, said Dr. Jamie Oliver, Research Director at AIMS.

Effectiveness of sunscreen with filter of coral must be proven
According to CSIRO, the new sun creams are expected to be launched within the next five years.

German scientists assess the results of the Australians with restraint. As explained molecular biologist Beate Volkmer of the Working Group Dermatological Prevention to the news agency „dpa“, that the development sounds interesting, but according to the Australian scientists can not yet be judged how well the sunscreen in humans. So it is important to know which part of the light spectrum is blocked by the filter. Percy Lehmann, director of the Center for Dermatology at Wuppertal's Helios-Klinikum, also needs more information in order to come to a deeper assessment. „Further experimental findings have to be awaited in order to make an informed assessment, "he told the news agency.

Image: Dieter Schütz