At Columbia University we have developed a new technology, using the  power of light, which has every promise of limiting the spread of  coronavirus, as well as more familiar viruses like influenza and  measles. Click here for more information.

We are decidedly losing the war against superbugs, with a projected  annual death toll by 2050 of 10 million people every year, and I would  like to stop that.

As I see it, radiation is very much a two-edged sword - used in the  right way it has revolutionized modern medicine - such as through CT  scans and as a cure for  many cancers, but radiation used in the wrong way can be harmful. To  maximize the benefits of the many different types of radiation, we need  to understand exactly  how they affect us - from our DNA to the whole person.

Over the past 6 years we have applied this idea in working towards a  safe way to kill drug-resistant bacteria such as MRSA, as well as  airborne viruses such as  influenza, using a unique type of ultra-violet light. 

In brief, it is pure physics - 222 nm light is safe for us because it  cannot even penetrate through the dead-cell layer on the surface of our  skin or the tear layer  on the surface of our eyes - but because bacteria and viruses are  physically very small, 222 nm light does have enough penetration to  efficiently kill them.

I envision a wide range of applications for this new weapon in the  war against superbugs, such as in schools to prevent the spread of  coronavirus or influenza, in shelters to prevent  the spread of TB, or in airplanes and airports to prevent the global  spreading of virus like coronavirus or H1N1 influenza.

For more please click one of the links below to view current Far UVC publications:

1. Germicidal efficacy and mammalian skin safety of 222-nm UV light

2. 207-nm UV light-a promising tool for safe low-cost reduction of surgical site infections. II. In-vivo safety studies

3. 207-nm UV light - a promising tool for safe low-cost reduction of surgical site infections. I: in vitro studies