New Scientist: It has been known for decades that near-IR wavelengths of light can boost healing rates of cells in the skin and in the lab. The 670-nm wavelength triggers cellular mitochondria to produce more of the cell's molecular fuel, ATP. But the reason why has not been clear. Now Andrei Sommer of the University of Ulm in Germany and his colleagues may have the explanation. They found that when water is exposed to near-IR light, the distance between the water molecules increases, making the water "runnier." Inside a cell, runnier water makes it easier for the mitochondria, which produce ATP as they are rotated by an enzyme, to turn. A clearer understanding of the mechanism that increases the rate of healing may allow for more effective attempts to adapt near-IR for medical purposes.
