| New sunscreen takes the help of Batman |
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With the Batmobile as a model working Gothenburg Scientists to create a sunscreen that uses solar energy to build a barrier against UV light. And that is not allergenic.
The number of people who develop allergies to sunscreens is increasing
in Sweden and abroad. It says Anna Borje, a researcher at the Department
of Chemistry at the University of Gothenburg.
In two studies, she and her colleagues demonstrated that the cause is
the chemicals used to protect us against harmful ultraviolet rays.
When the filter is struck by solar energy, they break and form products that can be both allergenic and toxic to our cells. The research findings are new and not yet very high-profile.
It's not that the industry responded in line to find out more, says Anna Borje.
In all silence, she and Jerker Martensson, Chalmers therefore worked to
try to create the ultimate solar protection. Protection that activates
when hit by the sun's rays and start to produce substances that act as a
barrier against UV light. It is contrary to how today's chemical
sunscreen works. Where the barrier is broken, we smeared on the skin
down by sunlight. And the degradation products can irritate and damage
our cells.
The prototype is the pigment scytonemin held by cyanobacteria, green
algae. It's super effective against the sun's ultraviolet rays and so
cleverly designed that it only activates when the sun is shining.
Moreover, it is very stable.
After several years of work, researchers have now succeeded in building
up the whole scytoneminkomplexet. By illuminating it with high-energy
light is now Anna Borje check that the formation of some substances that
can damage our cells. In addition, the photo physical and photochemical
properties of the pigment are studied.
We have bat car as a model. It has great shields that fold out when
needed. Likewise, we want to create barriers against UV light, and that
are safe for humans to use.
In the meantime, she recommends that we use clothing and physical
sunscreens. The only approved sunscreen of that kind is titanium
dioxide.
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