People with allergies can suffer long after the offending organism has been removed. Researchers, however, are now envisioning a future with portable devices that can clear a room of airborne allergens using ultraviolet (UV) light.

In new research published in the journal ACS ES&T Air , researchers have found a way to change the structure of allergy-causing airborne proteins with UV light. This approach reveals a better alternative to months of cleaning carpets and cats, and in extreme cases, it could even save lives.

“We have found that we can use a passive, generally safe ultraviolet light treatment to quickly inactivate airborne allergens,” Tess Eidem, a microbiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder and a co-author of the study, said in a university statement . “We believe

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