The promise of laser research is exciting not only from the many applications, but because the physics of their function is an expression of both nature and human ingenuity. Being able, at will, to produce whatever wavelength and power from a single laser represents the ideal goal. Recognizing practical limits our laboratory is dedicated toward achieving as wide range of "color" in lasing as possible from materials such as alkali-halides and impurity-doped alkali-earth fluoride crystals prepared by exposure to ionizing radiation as well as transitional metal doped wide band II-VI semiconductor materials. Long term research is directed towards the development and investigation of novel vibronic crystalline laser media as well as novel schemes for tunable lasers. We have developed technology of room temperature stable LiF:F2+ color center crystals and constructed a solid state laser on their basis that produces light from beyond 0.8 to 1.2 microns and with nonlinear transformations from ultraviolet (0.2 microns) to middle IR spectral range (10 microns). We also developed technology of ZnS and ZnSe crystals doping based on pulse laser deposition and subsequent thermal annealing of the samples, manufactured and characterized dozens of Cr:ZnS and ZnSe crystals with good laser properties. The "blue-prints" of Cr:ZnS epitaxial thin film technology was also developed. First CW and gain switched middle IR microchip lasers on Cr2+:ZnS and ZnSe crystals were proposed and realized. Slope efficiencies up to 53% with output power up-to 600mW for CW and energy of 1 mJ for pulsed pumping were achieved. We designed and realized a compact, tunable over ~ 700 nm between 2170 and 2840 nm external cavity Er-fiber laser pumped CW laser yielding up to 1200 mW of output power and up to 40% slope efficiency. Laser based systems are being developed for fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy of optical materials, data telecommunication, for analysis of protein crystals being grown on the International Space Station, rocks on Mars, and traces of metals that are toxic components of environment. Biotechnical medical applications are pursued in conjunction with the UAB nationally renowned medical center. The Nation Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense, NASA and industrial partners support these research programs.