Effects of speckle-like laser irradiation on growth of bacteria in vitro

In this work, for the first time, we have demonstrated the biological effects upon in vitro growth of bacteria and human peripheral blood erythrocytes of the irradiation with speckle-like highly-gradient laser light. Measurements of the growth of Staphylococcus aureus with and without antibiotic irradiated with uniform or interference pattern of intensity spatial distribution have shown strong dependence on the spatial frequency of the irradiation. Maximum inhibition of the bacteria growth was achieved at the frequency 1000 fringes/mm. It was also found that human blood erythrocytes exposure to such radiation at the power density typical for laser phototherapy could damage the erythrocytes. A possible explanation of the photo-biological effects of laser speckle irradiation relying on the electron-ion processes similar to those that occur under inhomogeneous illumination in inorganic media and called photo-stimulated diffusion of ions (Dember effect) is proposed and discussed.