Review of the specific effects of microwave radiation on bacterial cells

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2012-10, Vol.96 (2), p.319-325
• Main Authors: Shamis, Yury, Croft, Rodney, Taube, Alex, Crawford, Russell J., Ivanova, Elena P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine triphosphatase; Analysis; Bacteria; Bacteria - enzymology; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - radiation effects; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cellular biology; Dehydrogenases; Enzymatic activity; Enzyme kinetics; Enzymes; Heat; Life Sciences; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Microwave radiation; Microwaves; Mini-Review; Proteins; Radiation; Studies; Temperature
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-012-4339-y

The aim of the present review was to evaluate the literature suggesting that consideration be given to the existence of specific microwave (MW) effects on prokaryotic microorganisms; that is, effects on organisms that cannot be explained by virtue of temperature increases alone. This review considered a range of the reported effects on cellular components; including membranes, proteins, enzyme activity as well as cell death. It is concluded that the attribution of such effects to non-thermal mechanisms is not justified due to poor control protocols and because of the possibility that an unmeasurable thermal force, relating to instantaneous temperature ( T i ) that occurs during MW processing, has not been taken into account. However, due to this lack of control over T i , it also follows that it cannot be concluded that these effects are not ‘non-thermal’. Due to this ambiguity, it is proposed that internal ‘micro’-thermal effects may occur that are specific to MW radiation, given its inherent unusual energy deposition patterning.