Sunscreen made of DNA improves with longer wear

July 26 (UPI) -- Researchers at Binghamton University in New York have developed a film made of DNA that improves ultraviolet light protection the more it's exposed to it.

"Ultraviolet (UV) light can actually damage DNA, and that's not good for the skin," Guy German, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Binghamton University, said in a news release. "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."

Researchers created the thin and optically transparent crystalline DNA films, then irradiated them with UV light and found that the more the film was exposed to UV light, the better it was at absorbing the light.

The DNA films are also hygroscopic, which means the skin coated with the film can store and hold water much better than uncoated skin. This would allow for slower water evaporation and better hydration over 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 said.

"Not only do we think this might have applications for sunscreen and moisturizers directly, but if 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," German said.

The study was published July 26 in Scientific Reports.