Harvard Wellman Center for Photo medicine’s two scientists, Gather and Yun, have shown that they can generate laser light from single cells. These HEK293 cells were transiently transfected with GFP. The expressed GFP (~300 microMolar) showed optical amplification of light. The cells had to placed in an artificial cavity and stimulated by external pulsed laser but the intensity of the laser emitted was bright enough to photograph. Interestingly the cells are viable after the experiment. This got a lot of publicity from many sources. However, their in-vivo microscopy also deserves more attention.
Check the video’s and the laser cell setup on the Yun lab website.
The mission quoted from the Yun lab website “Yun Lab focuses on developing new optical technologies and applying them to solve biological questions and medical problems. To realize this goal, we integrate our expertise in physics, photonics, and various engineering disciplines with biomedical needs and curiosities. Our research activities therefore include multidisciplinary collaboration particularly with biologists and clinicians. Also we jointly pursue collaboration with industrial partners to enhance the practical impacts of research. “