FLICKR, MICHAEL BENTLEY
The device: A new kind of sunblock that encases an ultraviolet (UV) light filter—the active ingredient of most chemical sunscreens—in a sticky polymer nanoparticle is effective and prevents potentially harmful chemicals from being absorbed into the body, according to a study published today (September 28) in Nature Materials. Mark Saltzman, a professor of biomedical engineering at Yale University and his colleagues have shown that the large skin-adhesive nanoparticles they developed stayed on the surface of skin in mice while commercial sunscreens penetrated into deeper skin layers. The new sunblock formulation also stayed on the skin of mice for days, even after water exposure.
“This is a new type of material,” said Robert Langer, a chemical engineer at MIT who was not involved in the study. ...
