Coral may be a vital ingredient in sunscreen pill

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margin-right: 9px;">SCIENCE</a> </div>  <h1 id="ar_title">Coral may be a vital ingredient in sunscreen pill </h1> <div class="summary_details_left"> <p>By <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/author/bridget-borgobello/" rel="author">Bridget Borgobello</a></p> <p><em>September 7, 2011</em></p> </div> <div class="summary_details_right"> <div class="has_comments"><a href="coral-sunburn-protection-pill#comments">2 Comments</a></div> <div class="has_pictures"><a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/coral-sunburn-protection-pill/19751/picture/141817/">3 Pictures</a></div> </div> </div> <div id="article_share_rail"> <div class="as_button"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/coral-sunburn-protection-pill/19751/" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-show-faces="false"></div><script type="text/javascript">_ga.trackFacebook();</script></div> <div class="as_button"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118/http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="vertical" data-via="gizmag">Tweet</a></div> <div class="as_button"><div class="g-plusone" data-size="tall" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/coral-sunburn-protection-pill/19751/"></div></div> <div class="as_button"><iframe style="overflow: hidden; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118if_/http://badge.stumbleupon.com/badge/embed/5/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gizmag.com%2Fcoral-sunburn-protection-pill%2F19751%2F" width="50" height="60" id="iframe-stmblpn-widget-1"></iframe></div> <div class="as_button"><div class="pin-it-button" data-url="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118oe_/http://www.gizmag.com/coral-sunburn-protection-pill/19751/" data-image="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/coralsunscreen.JPG" data-description="Coral proves vital ingredient to a sunscreen pill "></div></div> <div class="as_button"><script type="IN/Share" data-counter="top"></script></div> <div class="as_button" id="reddit_button_rail"><script type="text/javascript">reddit_newwindow='1'</script></div> <div class="as_button" id="email_a_friend_rail"><span class="email_a_friend">Email</span></div> </div> <div id="hero_box" style="width: 530px;"> <a id="hero_link" href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/coral-sunburn-protection-pill/19751/picture/141817/"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118im_/http://images.gizmag.com/hero/coralsunscreen.JPG" title="Researchers from King's College London have recently discovered a natural compound produce..." 2 alt="Researchers from King's College London have recently discovered a natural compound produce..."/></a> <div class="pic_caption"> <p>Researchers from King's College London have recently discovered a natural compound produced by coral that could be suitable for use in a new type of sunscreen for humans (Image from King's College)</p> <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/coral-sunburn-protection-pill/19751/picture/141817/" id="gallery_link">Image Gallery</a> (3 images) </div> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> <div class="article_body"> <div id="top_unit"></div> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118js_/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> <p>Researchers from King's College London have recently discovered a natural compound produced by coral that could be suitable for use in a new type of sunscreen for humans, and it may even come in a pill! As coral is generally found in shallow waters, it therefore naturally produces a type of "sunscreen" to protect itself from the sun's UV rays. It is this natural sunscreen that scientists hope to synthetically re-create for human use.</p> <p>"We already knew that coral and some algae can protect themselves from the harsh UV rays in tropical climates by producing their own sunscreens but, until now, we didn't know how," says Dr Paul Long, Senior Lecturer from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science at King's College.</p> <p>In collaboration with Dr Walter Dunlap from the Australian Institute for Marine Science and Professor Malcolm Shick from the University of Maine, the King's College researchers recently traveled to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to collect coral samples for laboratory analysis. The study has led the researchers to believe that the algae living within the coral creates the "sunscreen" compound, which then protects both the coral and algae from the sun.</p> <p>Furthermore, the scientists noted that the fish that feed on the coral also benefited from this natural sunscreen, "so it is clearly passed up the food chain," says Dr. Long. "If we can determine how this compound is created and passed on, we could biosynthetically develop it in the laboratory to create a sunscreen for human use, perhaps in the form of a tablet, which would work in a similar way."</p> <p>If the team are successful in recreating this natural sunscreen, it may also have a use in developing countries. The compound could be used to produce UV-tolerant crop plants capable of withstanding harsh tropical sunlight.</p> <p>"This could be a way of providing a sustainable nutrient-rich food source, particularly in need for Third World economies," concludes Dr. Long. "We are very close to being able to reproduce this compound in the lab, and if all goes well we would expect to test it within the next two years."</p> <p>The study has also found a clue as to why climate change is causing the death of coral beds. As sea level temperatures rise, the algae that lives within the coral dies and no longer produces the vital sun protecting compound. The coral is then exposed to harmful UV rays and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching" target="_blank">coral bleaching</a> occurs. In 1998, global temperature variations caused coral bleaching to occur in 16 percent of the world's coral reefs. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118/http://www.kcl.ac.uk/index.aspx" target="_blank">The King's College</a> researchers hope that their study will help contribute to the conservation of coral reefs worldwide.</p>    <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118js_/http://static.fmpub.net/zone/7980"></script> <div id="bottom_unit"> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118js_/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"></script> </div> </div> <span class="title share_bar">Share</span> <div id="article_share_bar" class="dotsontop share_bar"> <div class="as_button fb_as_button"><div class="fb-like" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/coral-sunburn-protection-pill/19751/" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-show-faces="false"></div><script type="text/javascript">_ga.trackFacebook();</script></div> <div class="as_button"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118/http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="vertical" data-via="gizmag">Tweet</a></div> <div class="as_button"><div class="g-plusone" data-size="tall" data-href="http://www.gizmag.com/coral-sunburn-protection-pill/19751/"></div></div> <div class="as_button"><iframe style="overflow: hidden; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; " src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118if_/http://badge.stumbleupon.com/badge/embed/5/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gizmag.com%2Fcoral-sunburn-protection-pill%2F19751%2F" width="50" height="60" id="iframe-stmblpn-widget-2"></iframe></div> <div class="as_button"><div class="pin-it-button" data-url="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118oe_/http://www.gizmag.com/coral-sunburn-protection-pill/19751/" data-image="http://images.gizmag.com/hero/coralsunscreen.JPG" data-description="Coral proves vital ingredient to a sunscreen pill "></div></div> <div class="as_button"><script type="IN/Share" data-counter="top"></script></div> <div class="as_button" id="reddit_button_bar"><script type="text/javascript">reddit_newwindow='1'</script></div>  </div>  <span class="title clear_left" id="author_byline_title">About the Author</span> <div class="dotsontop" id="authorcontainer">  <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/author/bridget-borgobello/"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118im_/http://images.gizmag.com/author_profiles/135.jpg" alt="Bridget Borgobello" id="bio_pic"/> </a>   Bridget is an experienced freelance writer, presenter and performer with a keen eye for innovative design and a passion for green technology. Australian born, Bridget currently resides in Rome and when not scribbling for Gizmag, she spends her time developing new web series content and independent cinema.   <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/author/bridget-borgobello/">All articles by Bridget Borgobello</a> <span id="author_byline_links">   </span> <br class="clear_both"> </div>  <div id="tags"> <span class="title">Tags</span> <div class="dotsontop"> <ul> <li>» <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/algae/" rel="tag">Algae</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/coral/" rel="tag">Coral</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/marine/" rel="tag">Marine</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/ocean/" rel="tag">Ocean</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/research/" rel="tag">Research</a></li> <li>» <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/tag/sunscreen/" rel="tag">Sunscreen</a></li> </ul> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div> </div> <div id="bing_unit"></div>  <span class="title" id="comments">2 Comments</span> <div class="dotsontop"> <div id="comment-78478" class="a_comment"> <p>How ironic. For years sunscreen washing off swimmers has been killing coral and now we expect favors in return? </p> <span class="name">CliffG</span><br> <span class="date"> 8th September, 2011 @ 10:14 am PDT</span> </div> <div id="comment-78640" class="a_comment"> <p>Very well CliffG. Coral are endagered and dying </p> <p>Now can be usefull for sunscreen? Where is the common sense? </p> <p>Gi脙虏 </p> <span class="name">g.serenelli</span><br> <span class="date"> 9th September, 2011 @ 02:07 am PDT</span> </div> </div> <span class="title">Post a Comment</span> <div class="dotsontop" id="comment_form_div"> <div id="comment_form" data-article="19751"> <div id="comments_login"> <form action="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/index.php" name="login_form" id="login_form" onsubmit="return false;"> <p class="bold">Login with your gizmag account:</p> <p id="login_status"></p> <label for="email">Email</label><input type="text" name="email" id="email" value=""/> <label for="password">Password</label><input type="password" name="password" id="password" value=""/> <input type="submit" value="Log In" class="med"/> <div id="options"> <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/register/">Register here</a><br> <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/new_password/">Forgotten your password?</a> </div> <input type="hidden" id="expired_comment" value=""/> </form> </div> <div id="facebook_login"> <p>Or <span class="bold">Login with Facebook:</span></p><br/> <div class="fb-login-button" data-scope="email" data-max-rows="1" data-onlogin="loginFUser(19751);" data-autologoutlink="true"></div> </div> </div> <div class="clear_both"></div> </div>  <span class="title">Related Articles</span> <div id="related_articles" class="dotsontop"> <ul> <li> <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/go/7762/" title="EWG analysis of ingredients in 806 name-brand sunscreens, based on a review of publicly av..."> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/7762_8080792942.png" alt="EWG analysis of ingredients in 806 name-brand sunscreens, based on a review of publicly av..."/> </a> <a class="rel_title" href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/go/7762/">Is your sunscreen doing you more harm than good?</a> <p class="rel_date">8th August, 2007</p> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/carnegie-institution-research/11995/" title="A part of Moofushi coral reef hit by coral bleaching Pic credit: Bruno de Giusti"> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/coral-bleaching.jpg" alt="A part of Moofushi coral reef hit by coral bleaching Pic credit: Bruno de Giusti"/> </a> <a class="rel_title" href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/carnegie-institution-research/11995/">Further doubts atmospheric umbrella will save marine environments</a> <p class="rel_date">18th June, 2009</p> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/living-building-material-uses-carbon/16854/" title="'Protocell drivers' in a flask surrounded by carbon structures, in the Hylozoic Ground ins..."> <img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130606225118im_/http://images.gizmag.com/related/protocells.jpg" alt="'Protocell drivers' in a flask surrounded by carbon structures, in the Hylozoic Ground ins..."/> </a> <a class="rel_title" href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/living-building-material-uses-carbon/16854/">'Living' carbon-negative material could be used to protect buildings</a> <p class="rel_date">7th November, 2010</p> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20130606225118/http://www.gizmag.com/the-low-cost-solar-powered-mobile-phone-for-people-without-electricity/11040/" title="Not necessarily for the environmentally conscious - 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