The Effect Of Various Sunscreens On Uv Sensitive Yeast
School Name
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School
Grade Level
10th Grade
Presentation Topic
Consumer Science
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effectiveness of various sunscreen brands to protect yeast cells against UV radiation. Yeast cells were chosen because they are a good model of human cells. UV sensitive yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were grown on Petri dishes. Then different sunscreen brands: Banana Boat, Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic, and Neutrogena were applied to plastic wrap and placed over different Petri dishes. The Petri dishes were exposed to UV radiation for one hour with one half of each Petri dish exposed and the other half covered with aluminum foil. Petri dishes were photographed and then using ImageJ software, the average pixel color intensity in candelas per square meter of the exposed side was compared to the covered side. These numbers were used to find the percent of yeast cells lost in each Petri dish. It was hypothesized that if the Coppertone Clearly Sheer For Sunny Days Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 is applied to the UV sensitive yeast cells, then it will protect the cells more than the other brands of sunscreen because it contains the highest percentage of active ingredients. The null hypothesis was that the brand of sunscreen would have no effect on the protection of yeast cells against UV radiation. Neither of these hypotheses were supported by the data. Instead, the data showed that Hawaiian Tropic best protected the yeast cells from UV radiation.
Recommended Citation
Mullins, Emmye and Robinson Brown, Amelia, "The Effect Of Various Sunscreens On Uv Sensitive Yeast" (2016). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 207.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2016/all/207
Location
Owens 103
Start Date
4-16-2016 9:30 AM
The Effect Of Various Sunscreens On Uv Sensitive Yeast
Owens 103
The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effectiveness of various sunscreen brands to protect yeast cells against UV radiation. Yeast cells were chosen because they are a good model of human cells. UV sensitive yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were grown on Petri dishes. Then different sunscreen brands: Banana Boat, Coppertone, Hawaiian Tropic, and Neutrogena were applied to plastic wrap and placed over different Petri dishes. The Petri dishes were exposed to UV radiation for one hour with one half of each Petri dish exposed and the other half covered with aluminum foil. Petri dishes were photographed and then using ImageJ software, the average pixel color intensity in candelas per square meter of the exposed side was compared to the covered side. These numbers were used to find the percent of yeast cells lost in each Petri dish. It was hypothesized that if the Coppertone Clearly Sheer For Sunny Days Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 is applied to the UV sensitive yeast cells, then it will protect the cells more than the other brands of sunscreen because it contains the highest percentage of active ingredients. The null hypothesis was that the brand of sunscreen would have no effect on the protection of yeast cells against UV radiation. Neither of these hypotheses were supported by the data. Instead, the data showed that Hawaiian Tropic best protected the yeast cells from UV radiation.
