Fishy Sunscreen

With the weather gradually hotting up and the summer tantalisingly close, it’s easy for our thoughts to turn to towel-draped loungers and sun-baked beaches. But while we humans are forced to shop for our factor 50 sunscreen, it seems as though some canny little fish are cutting out the middleman and simply making their own. 

Even in the deep blue sea, marine animals can be exposed to sunlight, and those living in reefs and in the upper ocean in particular are subject to intense and unrelenting sunlight. This means that they’re bombarded with UV radiation that can eventually damage their DNA. Some species have evolved a defence against this however, and scientists have recently discovered that the little zebrafish (Danio rerio) is one such species that is able to produce a chemical called gadusol that protects them against UV radiation. While there’s evidence that amphibians, reptiles, and even birds can also produce gadusol, it was previously thought that fish could only acquire the chemical through their diet or symbiotic bacteria. 

But as with most things in science, the discovery could lead to practical applications. By successfully copying the method that zebrafish use, the scientists managed to express the relevant genes in yeast, meaning that it may one day be possible to use yeast to produce large quantities of natural gadusol for use in sunscreen pills and lotions. More effective protection from UV radiation for us humans can only be a good thing, provided of course that the new range of sunscreens doesn’t also smell of fish…