Chemistry
The Role of Singlet Oxygen in Photodynamic Therapy
Quick fact
Singlet oxygen, produced in photodynamic therapy, kills cancer cells by oxidizing vital biomolecules within a radius of only about 20 nanometers—roughly the width of a cell membrane—making it an incredibly precise cellular poison.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a cancer treatment that you can switch on with a flash of light—and that only harms the cells you target. How can something as inert as oxygen become a deadly assassin?