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July 25, 2008 9:47:03 PM CDT

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Lasers Able to Zap Viruses

Posted Feb 6, 08 2:05 PM CST in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Laser pulses tuned to the right frequency can be used to zap viruses, researchers have found, the way a soprano can shatter a wine glass, LiveScience reports. Scientists have developed computer models to determine a virus's lowest resonant frequency, and then destroy it with a laser pulse. "Like pushing a child on a swing from rest, one impulsive push gets the virus shaking," one says.

There are, however, some barriers to using the method as a treatment., including the fact that the lasers can't penetrate deeply into skin. One solution would be a dialysis-like system that passes blood through a machine where it could be zapped; ultrasound machines might also be used. One advantage is that viruses seem less likely to develop resistance to such methods than they have to drugs used to fight them.

Source LiveScience

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Researchers theorize that using the correct resonance frequency, a virus could be "shaken" to death, much like the way a wine glass can be shattered by a powerful voice.   (Shutterstock.com)
The HIV virus, seen here in this 3D diagram, may one day be treated by a yet-to-be discovered resonance frequency that causes it to rupture and deactivate.   (Shutterstock.com)
"The capsid of a virus is something like the shell of a turtle," said physicist Otto Sankey of Arizona State University. "If the shell can be compromised [by mechanical vibrations], the virus can be inactivated."   (Shutterstock.com)
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