Described as like “hitting a bullet with a bullet”, the scheme was ultimately unsuccessful in its primary objective of developing a laser to shoot missiles out of the sky.  However, the investment by the government did pay off in technological advances.  Like many avenues of research, it went off in a direction utterly at odds with what was initially expected.  Scientists have now announced to the media that they are developing lasers to shoot down mosquitoes.  These researches had previously been working on President Reagan’s plan to build a laser for military purposes.

Mosquitoes are vectors for a myriad of infectious diseases, chief among them malaria, but also dengue fever, lymphatic filariasis and others.  Malaria was eradicated from Europe by use of the pesticide DDT, which kills the mosquitoes.  Other methods in current use to contain the spread of malaria by reducing human-mosquito contact include the use of insecticide-treated bed nets to repel mosquitoes.

In the same week, the BBC reported laser sweat ablation being used for the first time in the UK.  Excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, from the armpits was treated by a surgeon directing lasers to destroy sweat glands.  This disabling condition is very different to malaria, and has a very different cause, but lasers are now being used in its treatment.

The idea of controlling disease by using lasers to shoot mosquitoes sounds like it comes from Dr. Evil, but I would not rule out this becoming an effective intervention in the future.  The more we learn about pathogenesis, the more particulate causes of disease are discovered: parasites, bacteria, viruses and prions.  Lasers that are now learning to pick out and eliminate mosquitoes may be used in future to distinguish these pathogens from other matter.  Unlikely, but it may happen.  

The World Wide Web was created as a by-product of the main research at CERN.  It is difficult to predict what application some of the most theoretical scientific research will have.  We can only hope that it will be a weapon against disease rather than a new atomic bomb.

My lovely colleagues have told me about a new opportunity to submit your research for publication!. The Journal of Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease (TMAID) has introduced a new section entitled “First Look – Student Research”. Undergraduate and Postgraduate students are invited to submit manuscripts on any aspect of travel medicine, infectious disease or international health for publication in the Journal. What’s more there’s a prize for the best accepted paper this year. For more information on the competition and submitting click on the following link: 

http://www.elsevier.com/framework_products/promis_misc/TMAID_contest.pdf