When chemistry professor Grace Han first traveled from Boston to Southern California several years ago, one thing immediately stood out to her: the strength of the sunlight. After spending only a few hours outdoors, she noticed the early signs of sun irritation far more quickly than she was used to back home.
The experience stayed with her. By last year, after relocating to University of California, Santa Barbara for a new academic role, she had adapted to the region’s intense sunshine with wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses and regular use of sunscreen. But beyond simple sun protection, the chemist’s curiosity pushed her toward a scientific idea.
While reading about DNA photochemistry in her spare time, Han became fascinated by how sunlight affects molecules within human skin. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, certain DNA molecules alter their structure, shifting into a strained configuration after absorbing energy from the sun.
That observation connected directly to a long-standing scientific challenge.
For decades, researchers have been exploring ways to develop molecules capable of storing solar energy by changing shape when exposed to sunlight. The concept works somewhat like a compressed spring or a set mousetrap: energy is stored when the molecule shifts form, and later released when it returns to its original structure.
This emerging field is known as Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage, often shortened to MOST. Scientists view it as a potentially low-cost and emissions-free method of storing heat energy for extended periods, possibly lasting months or even years.
Although earlier attempts to make the technology practical achieved only limited success, Han believed the intense California sunlight offered a new opportunity to rethink the process. Her insights into how sun-damaged DNA behaves may help researchers design more efficient molecules capable of capturing and storing solar energy more effectively.
The work highlights how observations from everyday life—even something as simple as stronger sunshine—can inspire innovative scientific ideas. As interest in renewable energy solutions grows worldwide, technologies like MOST could eventually become an important part of future clean-energy systems.