Researchers hope to develop a tablet which can protect our skin and eyes without the need for dark glasses or sun cream. [Agencies]

閱讀難度：

A pill that prevents sunburn could be on the shelves within five years after British scientists discovered how coral shields itself against harmful UV rays, Daily Telegraph reported.

Coral converts compounds produced by algae living inside it to make a sunscreen which protects both the coral and the algae from sunburn, the researchers discovered.

Fish which feed on the coral also gain protection from the sun, but the human digestive system wipes out the compounds before they can offer us any benefit.

Dr Paul Long from King's College London, who is leading the research, hopes to engineer the compounds in the lab so that they survive long enough in our bodies to enter the bloodstream and offer us some level of protection.

He said, "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."

（點(diǎn)擊《每日電訊報(bào)》查看原文）

防曬藥物五年內(nèi)面世

???????繼英國(guó)科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)珊瑚蟲(chóng)是如何抵御有害的紫外線后，一種防曬藥物有望五年內(nèi)上市。

???????據(jù)英國(guó)《每日電訊報(bào)》報(bào)道，研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，珊瑚蟲(chóng)會(huì)把生活在其中的藻類產(chǎn)生的化合物轉(zhuǎn)化成“防曬霜”，從而使自己和海藻都免于曬傷。

???????以這種珊瑚蟲(chóng)為食的魚(yú)類也會(huì)獲得防曬保護(hù)，但人類的消化系統(tǒng)在這種化合物發(fā)揮功用之前就把它排出了。

???????倫敦國(guó)王學(xué)院的保羅朗博士是該研究的帶頭人，他希望實(shí)驗(yàn)?zāi)苁惯@種化合物在人體內(nèi)停留足夠長(zhǎng)的時(shí)間，并最終進(jìn)入血液，為人類提供一定的防曬保護(hù)。

???????他說(shuō)：“我們現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)快能在實(shí)驗(yàn)室里制造這種化合物了。如果一切順利，未來(lái)兩年內(nèi)將進(jìn)行試驗(yàn)。”

(China.org.cn September 5, 2011)