P.U. Giacomoni - Comprehensive Series in Photosciences, Volume 3

Donat-P. Hder and Giulio Jori

Its not the substance, its the dose which makes something poisonous!

When Paracelsius, a German physician of the 16th century made this statement he probably did not think of light as one of the most obvious environmental. But his statement applies as well to light. While we need light for example for vitamin D production too much light might cause skin cancer. The dose makes the difference. These diverse findings of light effects attracted the attention of scientists for centuries. The photosciences represent a dynamic multidisciplinary field which includes such diverse subjects as behavioral responses of single cells, cures for certain types of cancer and protective potential of tanning lotions. It includes photobiology and photochemistry, photomedicine as well as the technology for light production, filtering and measurement. Light is a common theme in all these areas. In the last decades a more molecular centered approach changed both the depth and the quality of the theoretical as well as the experimental foundation of photosciences.

An example for the relationship between global environment and the biosphere is the recent discovery of ozone depletion and the resulting increase in high energy ultraviolet radiation. The hazardous effects of high energy ultraviolet radiation on all living systems is now well established. This discovery of the result of ozone depletion put photosciences in the center of public interest with the result that in an unparalleled effort scientists and politicians worked closely together to come to international agreements to stop the pollution of the atmosphere.

The changed recreational behavior and the correlation with several diseases in which sunlight or artificial light sources play a major role in the causation of clinical conditions (e.g. porphyrias, polymorphic photodermatoses, Xeroderma pigmentosum and skin cancers) have been well documented. As a result in some countries (i.e. Australia) public services inform people about the potential risk of extended periods of sun exposure for every day. The problems are often aggravated by the phototoxic or photoallergic reactions produced by a variety of environmental pollutants, food additives or therapeutic and cosmetic drugs. On the other hand, if properly used, light-stimulated processes can induce important beneficial effects in biological systems, such as the elucidation of several aspects of cell structure and function. Novel developments are centered around photodiagnostic and phototherapeutic modalities for the treatment of cancer, artherosclerosis, several autoimmune diseases, neonatal jaundice and others. In addition, classic research areas like vision and photosynthesis are still very active. Some out of these developments are unique to photobiology, since the peculiar physicochemical properties of electronically excited biomolecules often lead to the promotion of reactions which are characterized by high levels of selectivity in space and time. Besides the biologically centered areas, technical developments have paved the way for the harnessing of solar energy to produce warm water and electricity or the development of environmentally friendly techniques for addressing problems of large social impact (e.g. the decontamination of polluted waters). While also in use in Western countries, these techniques are of great interest for developing countries.