Indian scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Thiruvananthapuram have made a groundbreaking discovery. They found that blue light can damage the genetic material of fungi. This offers a potential new strategy against drug-resistant fungal infections.
The research, published in PLOS, reveals that prolonged exposure to blue light causes Loss Of Heterozygosity (LOH) in budding yeast. LOH is a mutation where a gene copy is lost, potentially revealing harmful mutations. "This is the first time that such a mutational signature has been linked to blue light exposure," said Prof. Nishant K. T.
The study showed that chronic blue light exposure triggered an oxidative stress response, inducing DNA damage and overwhelming cellular repair systems. According to Prof. Nishant, blue light could be used to treat drug-resistant skin infections and for decontamination. This discovery highlights the need to assess the deeper effects of chronic blue light exposure in higher organisms.