Compounds from Tropical Coral Could Create Novel Sunscreens for Humans or UV-tolerant Plants

Marine organisms such as corals and fishes may have a way of protecting themselves from harsh UV radiation. This motivated Dr. Paul Long a senior lecturer from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and his team at the King's College London to investigate marine organisms specially corals. The team collected coral samples from the Great Barrier Reef and found that algae living within the corals make compounds utilizing their shikimate pathway which is found only in microorganisms and algae. If the genetic basis of the shikimate pathway is transferred to high yielding crops found in temperate climates, they may be able to thrive and be productive also in tropical and intense sunlight conditions.

The scientists also observed that fish that feed on the coral also benefit from this sunscreen protection. "This led us to believe that 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. 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," Long said.

The project funded under the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) will also focus on how coral bleaching occurs when there is a rise in sea temperature by 2-3 degrees in summer, including the genetic and biochemical changes - a step towards the development of solutions in mitigating the effects of climate change.

The original news can be seen at http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/food-security/2011/110831-pr-tropical-coral-sunscreen.aspx