Mitica is a microalgae-based living material designed to provide protection from UV radiation. Its adaptable application ranges from wearable accessories, such as hats, to larger-scale structures, including protective tarps. By working across different scales, Mitica offers a nature-based solution for people, particularly outdoor workers, who spend long hours exposed to the sun.

As climate change intensifies human exposure to harmful solar radiation increases and with it the interest in developing sustainable materials that provide natural photoprotection. Increasing levels of UV, driven by ozone depletion and climate change, pose significant risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. UV exposure induces oxidative stress, DNA damage, and reduced photosynthetic efficiency, highlighting the need for novel photoprotective materials. Microalgae such as Phaeodactylum tricornutum offer a promising biological source of natural UV protection due to their production of the carotenoid fucoxanthin. Fucoxanthin has attracted increasing attention for cosmetic and photoprotective applications because of its ability to absorb harmful radiation and mitigate oxidativestress.