An apparatus for laser processing a biological material comprising water as at least one component, comprising: a laser source for generating laser pulses, wherein said laser source is configured such that each laser pulse has: i) wavelengths selected for exciting the O-H water resonance at 3400 cm -1 or 1650cm -1; ii) a fluence of at least 1 J/cm 2, such that the pulse fluence is sufficient to produce superheated temperatures above a vaporization point of the at least one component of the biological material when the pulse is absorbed in a laser irradiated volume of the biological material, iii) a pulse duration time that meets requirements for impulsive heat deposition such that the pulse duration time of the laser pulse is greater than 1 ps and less than 1 ns, such that the pulse width is shorter than a time required for thermal diffusion out of the laser irradiated volume of biological material and shorter than a time required for a thermally driven expansion of the laser irradiated volume of biological material, and iv) the pulse duration time is long enough and the pulse energy low enough so that a peak intensity of the laser pulse is below a threshold for ionization and plasma formation to occur in the biological material; and wherein said laser source is further configured such that a time delay between laser pulses is longer than 1 microsecond. a laser source for generating laser pulses, wherein said laser source is configured such that each laser pulse has: i) wavelengths selected for exciting the O-H water resonance at 3400 cm -1 or 1650cm -1; ii) a fluence of at least 1 J/cm 2, such that the pulse fluence is sufficient to produce superheated temperatures above a vaporization point of the at least one component of the biological material when the pulse is absorbed in a laser irradiated volume of the biological material, iii) a pulse duration time that meets requirements for impulsive heat deposition such that the pulse duration time of the laser pulse is greater than 1 ps and less than 1 ns, such that the pulse width is shorter than a time required for thermal diffusion out of the laser irradiated volume of biological material and shorter than a time required for a thermally driven expansion of the laser irradiated volume of biological material, and iv) the pulse duration time is long enough and the pulse energy low enough so that a peak intensity of the laser pulse is below a threshold for ionization and plasma formation to occur in the biological material; and wherein said laser source is further configured such that a time delay between laser pulses is longer than 1 microsecond. i) wavelengths selected for exciting the O-H water resonance at 3400 cm -1 or 1650cm -1; ii) a fluence of at least 1 J/cm 2, such that the pulse fluence is sufficient to produce superheated temperatures above a vaporization point of the at least one component of the biological material when the pulse is absorbed in a laser irradiated volume of the biological material, iii) a pulse duration time that meets requirements for impulsive heat deposition such that the pulse duration time of the laser pulse is greater than 1 ps and less than 1 ns, such that the pulse width is shorter than a time required for thermal diffusion out of the laser irradiated volume of biological material and shorter than a time required for a thermally driven expansion of the laser irradiated volume of biological material, and iv) the pulse duration time is long enough and the pulse energy low enough so that a peak intensity of the laser pulse is below a threshold for ionization and plasma formation to occur in the biological material; and