Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation: a bright new technique to kill resistant microbes

Highlights • PDT uses light-activated photosensitizers to produce reactive oxygen species that kill microbial cells. • Polycationic chlorin(e6) conjugates, stable synthetic bacteriochlorins and functionalized fullerenes are examples. • The microbial killing by aPDI can be synergistically potentiated by harmless inorganic salts via photochemistry. • Genetically engineered bioluminescent microbial cells allow PDT to treat infections in animal models. • Photoantimicrobials have a promising future in the face of the unrelenting increase in antibiotic resistance.