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A close-up microscopic image of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Credit: Wilfried Pohnke/PixabayEssential Insights
- The term 'light virus' refers to viruses that cause little to no symptoms or damage to their hosts.
- These viruses typically possess limited genetic material and might offer benefits, such as providing immunity against more dangerous viral strains.
- Studying light viruses helps illuminate the intricate dynamics between viruses and their hosts within the microbial ecosystem.
To prevent infections, you’re likely aware of some essential practices: wash your hands, cover your sneezes, prioritize sleep, avoid touching your eyes (especially after contact with your nose), and maintain a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. This is crucial because a cold virus can persist on hands for hours or on surfaces for days.
Even popular hand sanitizers aren’t foolproof against all threats. Once inside the body, viruses are notoriously difficult to eliminate — antibiotics are ineffective against them, and vaccines for influenza and other viruses require annual updates to combat evolving strains. While our immune systems can handle many viruses, others, such as Ebola or the COVID-19 coronavirus, pose severe risks.
For decades, scientists have explored innovative ways to combat viruses, including the use of a laser, a device that excites atoms and molecules to emit light, amplifying it into a concentrated beam of radiation.
In 2007, a breakthrough occurred when researchers from Arizona State University and Johns Hopkins University found that low-power laser pulses could dismantle viruses, reducing them to "rubble," as described by Wired magazine at the time.
In their experiment, scientists targeted a virus with a brief pulse of purple laser light. The laser, active for just 100 femtoseconds (a femtosecond is one quadrillionth of a second), caused the virus’s capsid (its outer shell) to vibrate and break down. This effectively deactivated the virus without harming surrounding areas. Importantly, the method avoided causing mutations, a common issue in other treatments that can lead to viral resistance.
Since then, studies on utilizing lasers to combat viruses have progressed. In the future, lasers could potentially purify blood samples by removing viruses and other harmful pathogens, enhancing safety during handling. This laser-based approach might also integrate with blood dialysis procedures, where blood is extracted, treated with lasers to eradicate pathogens, and then reintroduced into the patient. As highlighted in a study published in November 2019 by the National Institutes of Health, lasers could eventually be used to deactivate influenza viruses, improving the efficacy of vaccine production.
On the following page, we explore additional methods scientists are developing to combat or halt the spread of viruses. Many of these techniques involve light, either to destroy viruses or as a catalyst for activation.
Other Ways to Combat Viruses
Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria, seen on the surface of a human white blood cell. Image courtesy of the Public Health Image Library, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CCO).Although many virus-stopping methods remain confined to laboratory testing, UV irradiation has already been widely adopted in practical applications. This technique involves exposing viruses to ultraviolet light, the same type of light responsible for causing sunburns and skin cancer in humans.
Similar to the laser approach, UV irradiation destroys viruses by damaging their cell walls. It is utilized in some ventilation and water purification systems to eradicate airborne or waterborne pathogens. Studies have shown that UV irradiation can eliminate foodborne pathogens, such as E. coli, without compromising the taste or quality of food. However, while effective, UV irradiation can trigger viral mutations and harm healthy cells, as anyone who has experienced a sunburn can confirm.
In March 2020, BBC News reported on robots equipped with UV-C light bulbs being used to disinfect hospitals and minimize infection risks for patients. While there was optimism about its effectiveness against the coronavirus, no conclusive tests had been conducted at the time, according to the BBC.
Scientists have also investigated using microwaves to eliminate viruses, but this method has proven unsuccessful so far. The water surrounding viruses absorbs the microwave energy, leaving the virus itself unaffected and intact.
In July 2018, researchers at North Carolina State University published a paper in ACS Publications, detailing a novel method of incorporating light-sensitive molecules into plastics. When activated by light, these molecules can puncture viruses and bacteria, neutralizing them, as reported in an article on the Alliance of Advanced BioMedical Engineering website.
