A sunscreen that includes a dose of DNA might be able to protect the skin from sun damage, Harper's Bazaar reports. It adds that the DNA-based sunscreen appears to get better at protecting the skin the longer it's in the sun and might not have to be re-applied that often.
Harper's Bazaar reports that researchers from Binghamton University developed a thin and optically transparent crystalline DNA film using salmon DNA, a readily available DNA source. As they report in Scientific Reports, Guy German and his team exposed their film to UV light to find that the film's ability to absorb UV light improved with time.
"If you translate that, it means to me that if you use this as a topical cream or sunscreen, the longer that you stay out on the beach, the better it gets at being a sunscreen," German says in a statement.
German and his team also report that the film locks in moisture. While that might help people's tans last, it could also serve as a wound covering. "[I]f it's optically transparent and prevents tissue damage from the sun and it's good at keeping the skin hydrated, we think this might be potentially exploitable as a wound covering for extreme environments," he adds.