The UGM Biology team, consisting of Irfan Agus Nugroho (Biology 2021), Laila Nurul Ilma (Biology 2021), and Fika Zulfiani (Biology 2021), successfully earned a Bronze Medal Quartile nomination in the Scientific Paper competition at the Agritech Research and Entrepreneurship Innovation (AGREETION) 2024. The subtheme of their entry was “Environmental Sustainability Innovation.” AGREETION 2024 is an international scientific paper and business plan competition organized by the Agritech Research and Study Club (ARSC) of the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya. This year’s theme was “Accelerating Agriculture and Agro-Industry Towards Sustainable Welfare with Eco-Friendly and Clean Production Principles.” Forty-two universities from 3 countries participated in this competition that was held online from April 20 to June 1, 2024.
The team presented an essay titled “Algae Screens: Eco-friendly Sunscreen Based on Red Algae (Palmaria palmata) as an Effort to Prevent Damaged Coral Reef Ecosystems.” The paper was inspired by Indonesia’s abundant coral reefs, which are threatened by degradation, partly due to sunscreen chemicals dissolving in the water. Chemicals in conventional sunscreens, oxybenzone and octinoxate can lead to coral bleaching. As a result, research conducted to develop eco-friendly sunscreen from natural ingredients. The natural compounds focused in this research were Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids (MAAs), abundant in red algae like Palmaria palmata. The research employed a literature study and molecular docking methods between MAA compounds (mycosporine glycine, porphyra-334, and shinorine) as ligands and the target protein Procollagen C-endopeptidase 1 (PCOLCE1). PCOLCE1 is a protein involved in regulating skin aging due to UV exposure, while the three MAA compounds used are known to possess the best antioxidant properties among MAA compounds. The research found that all three MAA compounds could bind to the target protein PCOLCE1, with porphyra-334 being the most effective. Therefore, the Algae-Screen product has the potential to be an effective natural sunscreen alternative to prevent photoaging while being safe for coral reef ecosystems. However, further research is needed to develop and refine the Algae-Screen formulation.
Author: Irfan Agus Nugroho
