Selective inactivation of micro-organisms with near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses

We demonstrate an unconventional and revolutionary method for selective inactivation of micro-organisms by using near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses. We show that if the wavelength and pulse width of the excitation femtosecond laser are appropriately selected, there exists a window in power density that enables us to achieve selective inactivation of target viruses and bacteria without causing cytotoxicity in mammalian cells. This strategy targets the mechanical (vibrational) properties of micro-organisms, and thus its antimicrobial efficacy is likely unaffected by genetic mutation in the micro-organisms. Such a method may be effective against a wide variety of drug resistant micro-organisms and has broad implications in disinfection as well as in the development of novel treatments for viral and bacterial pathogens. - iop

The above research was studied in part by a scientist from the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.

Sounds a bit Raymond Royal Rife-ish to me.  Perhaps in the future we will be able to walk through a beam and have all harmful pathogens killed off.