Sunscreen pill 'could happen in five years'

A sunscreen pill could be developed to protect the skin and eyes from ultraviolet rays.

A team of scientists in London have started a three-year project to produce the tablet, according to The Guardian.

The idea was inspired by the discovery of the way coral combats ultraviolet damage.

Dr Paul Long said: "What we have found is that the algae living within the coral makes a compound that we think is transported to the coral, which then modifies it into a sunscreen for the benefit of both the coral and the algae.

"This led us to believe that if we can determine how this compound is created and passed on, we could biosynthetically develop it in a laboratory to create a sunscreen for human use, perhaps in the form of a tablet."

The pill may only be available through prescription as an overdose could result in a vitamin D deficiency, causing weak bones.

Long continued: "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."

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