What the deep sea can tell us about microwaves

Background microwaves are ubiquitous in our modern, urban environment. The thermal effects of these electromagnetic fields on biological matter have been well-researched. However, possible non-thermal effects remain a controversial subject. Our work utilizes the bioluminescent marine organism, Vibrio fischeri, as a novel biosensor to probe the effects of low power, pulsed magnetic and electric 2.45 GHz microwave fields. The ultimate aim of this project is to microscopically image these biological effects in real-time using custom-made luminophores in mammalian cells, to elucidate the mode of action of microwaves at the molecular level.