Scientists create cells that emit laser light, next stop, Cyclops’ eyes?

In a fascinating (and terrifying) turn of events, scientists from Harvard University has created the first living laser. The scientists, professor Seok-Hyun Yun and colleague Malte Gather has managed to create a biological equivalents to the gain medium, one of the main components of any laser. For the gain medium, the team used green fluorescent protein 28GF@), the same protein that’s used by jellyfish to glow in the dark. After creating a genetically engineered human embryonic kidney cell to produce GFP, the team placed the cell between two mirrors and ran a beam of light through the cell that subsequently produced a visible laser beam. The beam only lasted for a few nanoseconds, but it was easily detectable and carried useful information on the properties of the cell.
The possibilities of a cell that’s able to produce laser beams are enormous. Scientists can use the technique to create cells that lase a tumor from the inside out, for example, without having to resort to invasive procedures. And you never know, we might all be retrofitted with laser eyes in the future.
Source: Wired