New Technology: Research And Application Of Blue Light Anti-Virus And Antibacterial

 

The bacterial agents used in biological weapons are usually selected from the bacteria that show antibiotic resistance or can form endospores and biofilms, so as to make them more resistant to the existing antimicrobial treatment schemes, so as to exert the maximum destructive ability. For these reasons, researchers still need to work on virulent bacteria, fungi, and viruses in order to successfully defeat potential biological warfare.

Current research shows that blue light in visible light also has bactericidal effect, and its wavelength range is 435-450 nm. Compared with ultraviolet radiation, blue light can not only kill antibiotic resistant bacteria and bacterial spores, but also do much less harm to mammalian cells. Therefore, visible light has obvious advantages in sterilization.

The blue light with wavelength of 405 nm showed broad-spectrum antibacterial effect on Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria. At present, blue light has been proposed as an alternative therapy to treat some bacterial infections resistant to methicillin and penicillin. The mechanism of blue light killing antibiotic resistant bacteria may be that it can be absorbed by the porphyrins produced by bacteria, resulting in the increase of free radicals, and then affect the plasma membrane protein and DNA, or directly affect the light resistant pigment of bacteria.

On the other hand, high intensity blue light with wavelength of 405 nm can also effectively inactivate Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium difficile. This is an oxygen dependent process. 405 nm blue light may interact with endogenous photoinduced chromophores, such as coprophyrin, and then produce singlet oxygen and other toxic reactive oxygen species in Bacillus and Clostridium, thus causing damage to bacteria.

However, it should be noted that blue light can not only regulate the activity of bacteria, inhibit the formation of biofilm, enhance the photo inactivation of bacteria, but also enhance the virulence factors of bacteria.  

High intensity 405 nm light can be used in medical, military and agricultural fields to prevent and control the exposure of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus, and can also be used for disinfection of air, contact surfaces and medical devices. Now the market circulation of acne with the blue light treatment instrument and blue light washing machine is also based on the principle of blue light sterilization.