[smellycat6464]

I apologize if I am posting this in the wrong section, as this is for an organic chemistry class, but I am researching some of the undesirable effects of sunscreens.

What my partner and I have planned so far was to synthesize and collect photosensitizers, shine them with UV light, place them in solution with extracted DNA, and then run a gel after incubating at body temperature.

We know that radicals are produced from the products of our synthesis, but would that radical activity manifest in this way? Our hopes and dreams is for our DNA to form bands when we run the gel on our controls and some variables as a way for visually demonstrating radical activity.

Or do you think having some radical cocktail like DPPH would yield better results.

Personally, I am hoping the gel will work, because even if it is less efficient than a radical detecting compound, I think it will be more "personal," I guess, to see genetic material harmed by the sunscreen. I am pretty sure the radicals will cause breaks in the DNA backbone, especially since there won't be any polymerases repairing the damage we cause, but I still have some doubts.

Thank you in advance!

[Arkcon]

That might be a method you can try.  Just be sure you can detect on a gel minor DNA damage.  Also, you'll have to consider that living things can repair slight DNA damage, so you'll only prove photosensitzed compounds might cause significant DNA damage.  It seems like a good project, if you think you can handle all the steps.  However, the canonical way determine the mutagenesis of a compound is to screen bacterial colonies for trophic mutations when cultured with the compound and mammal liver microsomes.  See here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ames_test

[smellycat6464]

Thank you! I have not heard of the Ames test before, thanks for mentioning it. It doesn't appear to be too expensive, either.