World’s First Living Laser

Posted by on June 13th, 2011

Scientists at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have genetically engineered the world’s first living laser. This is a living cell that can emit laser light. Based on previous Nobel winning work on Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) the researchers believe these laser shooting cells can be used in imaging and the targeted destruction of diseased cells.

Now, GFP has been incorporated into living human cells for an entirely new purpose: the production of laser light. Optical physicists in Boston have genetically engineered a cell capable of amplifying light and emitting a bright-green directional laser beam visible to the naked eye. Their research is published in the June 12th issue of Nature Photonics.

“This is the first time that we have used biological materials to build a laser and generate light from something that is living,” said Dr. Seok-Hyun Yun, who, together with his colleague Malte Gather, created the living laser.

[io9]

3 Responses to “World’s First Living Laser”

  1. Vincent_dackart Says:
    June 14th, 2011 at 2:46 am

    so….. how long till we can shoot frigging laser beams from our eyes?

  2. Anonymous Says:
    June 14th, 2011 at 2:58 am

    This is the best goddamn news I have ever heard in my life

  3. Dereckc1 Says:
    June 14th, 2011 at 3:56 pm

    Great. Now we’re just one lab accident away from laser equipped bacteria. I wonder if Dial soap can kill 99% of laser shooting bacteria…