Our project bridges a critical gap in skin cancer prevention by transforming complex UV data into a creative, consumer-facing product: a colour-changing pigment-producing substance tested with bacteria applied to the skin using a model like a henna pen to make monitoring sun damage an intuitive and fun life-saving habit.

Our project bridges a critical gap in the market by moving away from clinical, biology-heavy medical devices toward a creative, consumer-facing "exposure clock" that makes the invisible threat of UV radiation tangible. This can take the manifestation of many different products, but we wanted to add a fun touch by applying this substance like you would with a henna pen, which would change colors in UV depending on your skin tone and exposure. Some “next steps” ideas were to develop a flexible starch-based hydrogel designed to mimic the texture and sweat response of human skin in order to create a living model where safe, pigment-producing bacteria like Micrococcus luteus or engineered E. coli serve as our primary sensory indicators. The core of our lab work involves standardizing a visual colour palette by testing how various UV doses and exposure times affect the intensity of bacterial chromoproteins, and we would essentially "dumb down" complex science for our prototype to advocate for accessibility and to raise awareness. Just like testing eyeshadow, we can present the different colours produced by the bacteria and focus on the aesthetics of the product, while also presenting our lab results, regardless of whether it works as planned or not. We aim to educate the public about the cumulative nature of skin damage, laying the groundwork for future genetic modifications to refine the precision of the biological response, ultimately transforming skin cancer prevention from a medical chore into a visual and life-saving habit that people will actually use.