A near infrared laser beam makes it easier for a nanoscale probe to pass through water (Image: Andrei Sommer et al)
It sounds too good to be true. Shining red light on skin or cells in a dish gives an instant energy boost that could help heal wounds, relieve pain and perhaps help male infertility and other medical conditions.
The curious healing effect has been known for decades – researchers have been investigating its use in eye injuries since 2002 – but why it works has been a mystery. It turns out the explanation could be simple and yet strange: the red light seems to alter the physical properties of water, which turbocharges the chemical reactions that provide a cell’s energy.
The revelation has come from work led by Andrei Sommer of the University of Ulm in Germany.
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