A New Strategy Against Ozone Holes; &Nbsp; Zebrafish Eggs Wear Ultraviolet Protective Clothing.

Summer is coming. To protect against ultraviolet rays, sunscreen is a must for every girl. So what should animals do? The latest research of Tang Ruikang, a special professor of the Yangtze River Scholar Award program and professor of Chemistry Department of Zhejiang University, has provided a new strategy for helping the earth's organisms against ozone holes.

Recently, the reporter came to the Chemistry Laboratory of Zijin harbor campus of Zhejiang University, and watched the experiment of zebrafish under the hole of ozone layer, which was carried out by Tang Ruikang research group. In contrast experiments, zebrafish eggs exposed to ultraviolet radiation ceased to develop and died, while the zebrafish eggs developed by the research group "protective clothing" thrived and successfully completed all developmental processes.

Recently, the study's related paper "shell engineering protects zebrafish fertilized eggs: a strategy of biological protection under thin ozone environment" was published in the PLoS ONE magazine.

As we all know, the increasingly thin ozone layer in the earth's atmosphere enhances the intensity of ultraviolet radiation on the surface of the earth, which poses a serious threat to natural ecology, especially biological reproduction. For animals in vitro such as fish, if their fertilized eggs are exposed to excessive ultraviolet radiation, it is particularly likely to cause DNA damage and stop development. Scientists have discovered that the ozone hole over Antarctica has caused a sharp decrease in the number of fish in this area.

Nature has brought rich enlightenment to scientists. There is an ancient alga in the ocean. Its outer wall has a layer of mineral substance, just like a small umbrella that opens up, effectively blocking the ultraviolet ray.

"Can you make an artificial UV resistant coat for cells?" Tang Ruikang research group has been engaged in research on biomineralization. In 2008, they developed a way to "wear clothes" for yeast. After wearing artificial clothes, the life span of yeast was prolonged.

Tang Ruikang introduced zebrafish as one of the animal models commonly used in scientific experiments. After more than a year's research, the team found a biocompatible "coat" based on rare earth phosphate for zebra fish eggs. This material is also an important energy saving lamp powder, which absorbs ultraviolet light and transforms it into green fluorescence. The zebrafish eggs, which had been mineralized and strengthened, were placed in the solution containing rare earth elements. After 20 minutes, the surface of the fish eggs spontaneously formed a furry coat.

"This protective clothing is not only" fit "but also less toxic to cells. Tang Ruikang said, "the key to this experiment is to reduce or eliminate the negative effects of artificial materials on cells at the same time of achieving the goal of anti ultraviolet radiation."

Researchers found that the ability of zebrafish eggs to resist ultraviolet radiation was greatly enhanced after functionalization of materials. Under the simulated ozone layer, the zebrafish eggs "wearing protective clothing" emit light green light under the ultraviolet environment. Under the protection of the shell, the fertilized eggs can develop normally, and the young fish can break out like chicks, and the shape of the young fish is not distorted.

This experiment shows that the combination of functional materials and cells can realize the functionalization of life units simply and effectively, and it also provides a new strategy for the biological system to resist the negative effects caused by external environment. Tang Ruikang said.