Engineered E. coli Produce 4.2 g/L of Sunscreen Compound Gadusol in Lab Tests

A team led by Ping Zhang at Jiangnan University has engineered Escherichia coli to produce gadusol, a naturally occurring compound found in the eggs of zebrafish, salmon and sturgeon, as well as in coral. Gadusol protects organisms from ultraviolet damage yet occurs only in small quantities in natural sources, making extraction impractical for widespread use.

The researchers inserted genes from zebrafish into the bacterium to equip it with the necessary enzymes.

The genetically engineered E. 2 milligrams of gadusol per litre of liquid growth medium. 2 grams per litre.

In experiments, gadusol displayed antioxidant properties comparable to vitamin C. New Scientist reported that the researchers did not respond to a request for interview. 013. James Gagnon was part of a team that discovered gadusol’s role as a sunscreen in fish embryos.

“I think we haven’t necessarily given it the praise that it deserves,” Gagnon said. ” Gagnon stated that further testing is needed but the compound is likely to be safe for humans and the environment because so many animals already use it. Thanks to its transparency, gadusol might avoid the milky residue that some current sunscreens leave on the skin.

Gagnon identified two hurdles to commercialising gadusol: manufacturing it economically and finding a mixture of chemicals that bind it into a long-lasting application. The new bacterial process has gone some way toward solving the manufacturing challenge.

“The active ingredient could be gadusol, but I guarantee 99 per cent of what’s in that bottle of sunscreen someday in the future is going be just stuff to hold the gadusol to your skin so it doesn’t wash off,” Gagnon said.

Gadusol is transparent, unlike melanin, and is tuned to block harmful UV rays while allowing organisms to remain hidden from predators. Its potential as a more eco-friendly alternative to existing sunscreens that can harm marine life has drawn interest since its role in fish embryos was identified.