Many critters naturally produce sunscreen, study finds

Shayne Jacopian for redOrbit.com – @ShayneJacopian

Have you ever seen a sunburned fish? What about a lizard or frog?

And when was the last time you saw a snake applying SPF 30? (…)

According to findings published in eLife by Oregon State University researchers, many fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds can naturally produce gadusol, a compound that can protect their skin from damage by ultraviolet light.

So, to explain things in the least scientific, most inaccurate way possible, it’s not that snakes can’t apply sunscreen because they don’t have arms—rather, they never evolved arms because they’ve never needed to apply sunscreen.

“The ability to make gadusol, which was first discovered in fish eggs, clearly has some evolutionary value to be found in so many species,” said Taifo Mahmud, a professor in the OSU College of Pharmacy and lead researcher in the study. The research points to this valuable trait being inherited by some vertebrates hundreds of millions of years ago—the gene that provides the capability to produce gadusol in reptiles, amphibians, fish, and birds is similar to one found in algae.

“We know it provides UV-B protection, and it makes a pretty good sunscreen. But there may also be roles it plays as an antioxidant, in stress response, embryonic development, and other functions.”

Sunscreen in pill form?

In their research, the OSU team discovered that they could naturally produce gadusol using large quantities of yeast—you may start seeing it as an ingredient in your sunscreen before too long. Another possibility, though, is an ingestible product that could give humans a “systemic sunscreen”—a boon for those who put themselves at risk for skin cancer simply because they don’t like the way sunscreen feels. (You’re not alone – it feels disgusting.)

That’s just a conceptual possibility at the moment, though, so until it becomes a reality, you’ll have to keep rubbing that gross, greasy white stuff on your face every time you go on a fishing trip to catch creatures that don’t have to fool with it.

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