Researchers have developed a coating made out of DNA that works like sunscreen to provide better skin protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays and keep the skin hydrated. "UV light can actually damage DNA, and that's not good for the skin," said Assistant Professor at the Binghamton University in New York. "We thought, let's flip it. What happens instead if we actually used DNA as a sacrificial layer?
So instead of damaging DNA within the skin, we damage a layer on top of the skin," German added. The new sunscreen is made up of thin and optically transparent crystalline DNA films that have been irradiated with UV light. The more it gets exposed to UV light, the better the film can absorb it, the researchers found. "It means 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," researcher said in the…
