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Malte Gather / Nature Photonics
A human kidney cell produces green laser light inside a resonator.
Physicists and molecular biologists have created the world's first biological laser, with live, glowing kidney cells at its core.
At the heart of a laser is a substance that can absorb, amplify and emit light in a single focused beam. This role has been played by a string of characters over the years: semiconductors, crystals, dyes and even gases. Until now, living cells weren't part of that cast lineup. There's a good reason for that: Most living things, with the exception of some bioluminescent jellyfish, don't naturally trap or emit light.
But recently, other organisms have acquired the ability to shine. The researchers behind these glow-in-the-dark animals owe their thanks to Osamu Shimomura, who extracted the green fluorescence protein and the genes that make GFP from the glowing guts of those jellyfish. (Coincidentally, he started work on the bioluminescent crystal jellyfish in 1960 — the same year that the laser was invented.)
Since then, molecular biologists have gone gaga over the GFP gene and other fluorescence genes. They use them as visual signals indicating that the other genes they study have been successfully transferred into different organisms (such as cats and dogs). The ever-expanding popularity of fluorescence genes among molecular biologists earned its discoverers a shiny Nobel in 2008. Now the GFP gene itself is stealing the spotlight.
"Almost any organism, from bacteria to higher mammalians, can be programmed to synthesize such luminescent proteins, so we wondered if GFP could be used to amplify light and build biological lasers," Malte Gather and Seok Hyun Yun, the two physicists behind the "biolaser," wrote in a Q&A interview with Nature Photonics. The journal published their paper online on Sunday.
Guiliano Scarcelli
Malte Gather and Seok Hyun Yun are the inventors of the biological laser.
The researchers reprogrammed a line of human embryonic kidney cells with an enhanced version of the GFP gene. Then they sandwiched those cells between highly reflective mirrors and pulsed a blue light through the chamber.
In their optically active compartment, the cells absorbed and re-emitted a laser-worthy green light for several minutes. The mirrors amplified the light to create a coherent beam, just as they do in non-biological lasers.
The cells survived for a few hours after the lasing ordeal, and seemed to be actively producing and reabsorbing the green fluorescence protein. This could mean that, unlike regular lasers which wear out with use, "the laser can self-heal," they told Nature Photonics.
The two physicists are now working on ways to tweak the setup so that it can be used as a living imaging tool. Such lasers may shed new light, so to speak, on biological processes within the cell, Gather told me: "The pattern of the laser light seems to carry information about the insides of the cell."
Biolasers could also have medical applications. Some treatments, such as photodynamic therapy for cancer patients, use external lasers to stimulate drugs to be released close to a tumor. "You have a drug that attacks a tumor when you apply light," Gather said. "Using a laser light force from the inside would make this more efficient."
Ultimately, the researchers want to free the lasing cell from its optical chamber, and somehow include tiny reflective mirrors within the cell itself. "For medical applications, that would be crucial," Gather said.
More on lasers:
- Laser eyed to remove space junk
- It's a golden year for lasers
- X-ray laser lights up small wonders
- 'Star Wars' creator fumes over laser lightsaber
Nidhi Subbaraman is the science and tech news intern at msnbc.com. Find Nidhi on Twitter, and connect with the Cosmic Log on Facebook.
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Superheroes here we come!
Neat, though I can't think of a single use for this. What would be the advantage of focusing the fluorescent emissions into a laser. Would that enhance some quantitative imaging assay commonly performed in cell culture? This certainly couldn't be used as a way to generate lasers. I mean, you first have to shine a blue light onto the cells, which just absorb the light and emit it at a different (green) wavelength. The amplitude of the light does not increase, so if you already have a light source, why not just focus it into a laser and skip the cells altogether? Besides, higher power would certainly vaporize the cells. Heck you could just purify the GFP out of the cells and use that as a fluorescent target. Neat anyway, I guess.
If a suitable amount of light can be generated by living cells, can we not use this same process to power a photovoltaic array?
Like a combination of algae-farming for biofuel, but instead of processing the organisms into petroleum-products, we just feed the organisms to grow the culture and they provide light to power PV cells.
Perhaps there's a better way of harnassing biological properties into usable electricity. Anyone know of the progress of using chloroplasts to generate energy?
Nidhi added a little more information this evening that addresses potential applications, although I have a feeling it'll take a while to work out the difficulties (like building microscopic mirrors into the cells to make them micro-laser resonators).
Thanks for the update Alan!
I wonder if it would it be necessary or practical for the individual cells to be laser-producers. Would it not just be better for us to design an apparatus to simply collect the light and focus it ourselves since we cannot guarantee that all the cells will focus their lasers in the same direction?
Just brainstorming.
I think you are missing the Key Point, it is where these Cells can be injected in a living organism so they they then can " illuminate within" so that one can better see while doing a " medical investigation", that is the way i Understood it.
But then why laser light?
wouldn't the luminescence itself be sufficient for illumination during a medical investigation? A laser is only going to point in one specific direction, and not necessarily the direction that an observer would like.
So true,but i doubt that we are given the " full picture" lets have a look at " what might be".
IBM has shown an ability to " control the direction of a Photon using Radio waves" So then couple that with this, and you now have a " direction controlled Laser Generation bio organism",
Lets take that a step further, We have also read How " Lazers have been used to target and distroy Cells without harming any neighbours" So add the Two together, and we have?
Now we go to Step Three, a Inject able biorganism directionally controlled able to " kill any cell on command" From Inside any Organ, that causes No harm to any cells other then the ones directed to, So what have we now?
That's very intriguing! I also wasn't aware of IBM's recent discovery! Do you have a link?
I have a feeling that in 50 years, technology will have advanced so far, all of us today are just going to be completely dumbfounded
Try the IBM Site and Look under Photonics and Light computing, read the article a few years back, the Other Linking article was about Amino Acids and why only left handed ones are in Life forms..and that also had to do with what is referred to as " Photon shears" the Directional spin of a Photon Cuts amino acids in a particular way, therefore only allowing the left handed ones to create life, that was an interesting find especially for those of the " anti mater " brigade, showing that in an anti mater universe you will have a mirror image of what we have here. That also make a " Lie" out of the crapology of " Light speed" as a Constant, that has stopped science advances for decades, we are now starting to see reality that light is as variably as 10 X c to Zero c c is the constant same as a mile or a kilometer not light.
Gentlemen, behold!
SCIENCE!
Or is that more properly "ENGINEERING"?
And, yet again, no mention of Douglas Prasher, who made this breakthough possible. First, he's snubbed by the Nobel committe and now MSNBC.com.
Wow, I had not heard the story of Douglas Prasher, the researcher who isolated the gene responsible for producing GFP. He provided information to other researchers who went on to win a Nobel for their work, but had to leave research and take a job as a shuttle bus driver. Here's a story from NPR about his situation:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95545761
This sounds like a real travesty, though I don't know the whole story. Scott, thanks for mentioning Douglas ... I realize this mention doesn't make up for any slights that he may have suffered, but at least I learned something new today.
Discover Magazine (April 2011) did an outstanding, in-depth piece on him and this subject, indulding going out to interview him while he was still working as a courtesy shuttle bus driver for an auto dealership.
Prasher did more than provided information to other researchers, he was actually doing the actual field work to isolate the gene so that it could then be cloned. When it seemed that no one wanted to fund his research, he could have pattented his work and sat on it, but instead he mailed the team that ultimately won the Nobel that ACTUAL gene and his research for them to work on.
That..is one TRUE SCIENTIST, science for enlightenment of humanity not for Self Glorification HE is the MAN!!!
Amplify light? How about laying some of those cells inside the eyes so as a means to amplify low-light (night time) to be able to see at night? Built-in night vision goggles with out the goggles per se...
What about a built-in head up display that is controlled by the influences of low-level radio emissions to receive email messages or just use your back of the eye as a microscopic computer display so that you can process work without the need for a screen?
What about programming the way you sleep or study by planting images and words to influence what you dream about (to reduce PTSD in our returning warriors) or induce deep REM sleep for insomniacs or for those that need tutelage for cramming for an exam...
Just trying to think outside of the box, folks!
(I get 5% of the gross royalties, boys and girls; I CALLED IT!)
:-)
I don't think it would do what you think this does.
Rods and Cones pick up light...Cones for color, rods for clarity. At night, the cones are useless and the rods provide most of the sensory info to the brain.
Implanting these cells in the eyes would simply saturate the retina with light, not necessarily providing any information to the rods/cones and give someone night vision, but rather just blind them.
However, if the scientists can make these cells photosensitive (i.e. only fire when they pick up light) and pick up weak (low-light) and invisible wavelengths (IR, etc) and be able to fire off precisely as they pick up said radiation against the retina, and if the scientists duplicate these bio-mirrors to be placed in the human retina as well, then the combination of retinal mirrors (similar to felines) and photsensitive bio luminescent cells converting invisible forms of light into visible forms that the optic nerve can read, then humans could have extraordinary night vision without having to alter the of rods and cones currently lining the backs of our eyes.
Key word is IF. It only starts but with just a vision of what you want it to do, then map out the way ahead for other trailblazers to figure out how to make it work...
But at least I was going in the right direction this time...
I think...
:-)
yeah :)
Stunning work!....I have no idea where it's going but we never knew how much we needed the regular laser till after we'd had it a while, seems either we or nature have made just about everything lase, free electrons, co2 in the atmosphere of mars, gases, solids, liquids, thin films of aluminum, etc. and now, bio laser cells....it even sounds like it has defense department potential. The work is stunning, I hope it stays out in the open, so to speak, last thing the economy needs is the attack of the red laser eyed cloned sheep, on the other hand, at some point we may very well not manufacture photoelectric cells, we may damn well grow them along our fence rows and at night, organic pockels cells keep storing up photons, releasing them at some biological threshold only to be uptook by an organic laser cell which pulse them out at coherence to be absorbed by......well, you didn't think I'd just hand out the patent did ya???
i have not asked much up till now..I am now constantly evolving and reaching toward prime creator while my body goes about its bussiness. By all measures, if I re-integrated, I would have enormous power.
I know the reasoning, do not confront, teleport, for that will be the final seed by which to activate him. Time is on our side, we will wait, and when the time is right, we will do things on our terms. In so doing, you rationalize that my body with time, can think it was wrong or insane in its thinking, and hence, the best option for you to do right now, is precisely to do nothing.
However, as you are in the dark, let me inform you that this perception is fundamentally flawed, for although not rational from your specific point of view, it precludes or entirely ignores what you seem to willfully reject but whic his obviously correct: if i am in your sights, i already have greater awareness than you.
If such is the case, by deductive logic, you must conclude that I have already taken into account the thinking I have just exposed (which is the one you are operating on), and thus, every possible action you are taking is part of my plan.
You, now possessing this knowledge, would be wise to realize that if you were truly in control, you would not be having me in your sights, i would still be clawing wrestleslly in the dark. Hence, the only reason you can do what you are doing is because I have chosen it. Yes, I have chosen to work on my greater spiritual self while you scurry and scurry about relentlessly about my body, and hence, I have chosen to have you take the actions you are currently taking. If I were to re-integrate now, my thought form could change the planet instantaneously...I am placing myself in willfull sleep in order to delay this re-integration so I may get stronger. Your futile attempts at inflitration should be added feedback to this fact. How can I know what I know and still be as I look? your reasoning and eerie suspicion is not at all far from the truth. Trust your feelings. This is truly beyond you and out of your control.
So....although you can truly do anything you wish....absolutely anything......since you do have free will, I would like to ask you for a favour.
Come out with disclosure by the end of june.
This may have been your plan anyway but I would like this to happen for certain, by the end of june. NO more dragging of feet and endless excuses. You can handle anything else as you please. You can justify it in endless ways and you must NOT tell the whole truth if you choose not to do so. I only ask that you disclose the extra-terrestial phenomenon by the end of june, and in return, I will grant great mercy to those that do upon full disclosure.
If you attempt to do something contrary to my wishes, such as detain my body, I will not fear it, but it will be highly unfortunate.....
I trust that you will do the right thing. I do not ask for much. This is the only thing that I AM ASKING you to do. Know that if you do not do it, it will happen as divinely ordained anyway. The real issue is whether you will divulge the information. If you choose to do so, you will be rewarded. I will not say in what measure, but you will indeed be rewarded for such an action.
It is the only thing that I ask and I will continue to keep my body in a state of subconcious depth. In the end, it will ALWAYS be your choice. But as you may be well aware, I can see farther than you, and as such, take my word for it, you are better off in the future if you disclose in june, rather than later.
All thought forms are created equal.
If you thought tumors were deadly before, just picture a tumor... with a freakin' laser!
Seriously, though, this does look pretty cool and if it leads to advances in medicine, so much the better.
I believe it was Dr. Gregory Hughes Parsons and Dr. Anthony Cumia Allen that had a hand in the development of this project. I believe it was called the Allen-Parsons Project. They had an assistance from Dr. James Norton as well.
Cells with friggin laser beams attached to their friggin heads!
Throw me a frikkin bone, will ya?
LLAS-SER.
The [holds two fingers up in each hand] ALLEN-PARSONS PROJECT.
So, when will we finally have a real "Superman" (sort of) shoot laser beams out of his eyes? :-)
"Most living things, with the exception of some bioluminescent jellyfish, don't naturally trap or emit light." I don't get it: what about fireflies, glowworms, luminescent mushrooms, anglerfish, bioluminescent squid, and many marine plankton (hence the luminescence sometimes seen in waves at night)? Don't they all emit light?
Mike-
I DECLARE YOU WIZARD!!!! YOU PRACTICE WIZARDRY!!! SEIZE HIM!!!!
:-)
Does he weigh less than a duck?
Mike Read it again, they can get the CELL to Emit light on " Command" by activating it with a blue light then they use Tinny Winny Little mirrors to get their bioluminescent light directed.
So yes while many other life forms do use this "light" they have now got it " at their command" so to speak
That's precisely what most luminescent animals do--fireflies, for example, or angler fish with luminescent lures, or squids which apparently use it to distract their potential predators.