A new form of melanin enriched with selenium, called selenomelanin, has been developed by researchers at Northwestern University, in the United States.
This new biomaterial could be a shield for human tissue against harmful radiation, both in X-ray treatments and in space flights.
Melanin
Melanin is found in most organisms in the plant and animal kingdoms, as well as bacteria and fungi. Five types of melanin have been observed in nature, with pheomelanin (the pigment in red hair) which absorbs x-rays more efficiently than the more common eumelanin (black and brown pigments in dark hair).
But the team of researchers hypothesized that a new type of melanin, enriched with selenium instead of sulfur, would provide better protection against X-rays. The team synthesized the new biomaterial, which they called "selenomelanin." and used it to treat living cells. After receiving a dose of radiation that would be lethal to a human, only cells treated with selenomelanin still exhibited a normal cell cycle.
Additional tests with bacteria showed that lselenomelanin can be biosynthesized, meaning that living cells fed with appropriate nutrients can produce selenomelanin on their own and retain its radioprotective properties.
Currently, melanin samples are currently in orbit on the International Space Station, and are being studied by another research team to determine the response of the material to radiation exposure.
Compared to the weight and volume of traditional radioprotective materials such as lead, melanin is lighter and more flexible.
The investigation, that is published in it Journal of the American Chemical Society, has been directed by Nathan Gianneschi, professor of Chemistry at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and associate director of the International Nanotechnology Institute.
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The news
This new biomaterial could protect astronauts from radiation on future space missions
was originally published in
Xataka Science
by
Sergio Parra
.