Publication
Title
Evaluation of non-thermal effect of microwave radiation and its mode of action in bacterial cell inactivation
Author
Abstract
A growing body of literature has recognized the non-thermal effect of pulsed microwave radiation (PMR) on bacterial systems. However, its mode of action in deactivating bacteria has not yet been extensively investigated. Nevertheless, it is highly important to advance the applications of PMR from simple to complex biological systems. In this study, we first optimized the conditions of the PMR device and we assessed the results by simulations, using ANSYS HFSS (High Frequency Structure Simulator) and a 3D particle-in-cell code for the electron behavior, to provide a better overview of the bacterial cell exposure to microwave radiation. To determine the sensitivity of PMR, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus cultures were exposed to PMR (pulse duration: 60 ns, peak frequency: 3.5 GHz) with power density of 17 kW/cm(2) at the free space of sample position, which would induce electric field of 8.0 kV/cm inside the PBS solution of falcon tube in this experiment at 25 degrees C. At various discharges (D) of microwaves, the colony forming unit curves were analyzed. The highest ratios of viable count reductions were observed when the doses were increased from 20D to 80D, which resulted in an approximate 6 log reduction in E. coli and 4 log reduction in S. aureus. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy also revealed surface damage in both bacterial strains after PMR exposure. The bacterial inactivation was attributed to the deactivation of oxidation-regulating genes and DNA damage.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Scientific reports. - London, 2011, currens
Publication
London : Nature Publishing Group , 2021
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
10.1038/S41598-021-93274-W
Volume/pages
11 (2021) , 12 p.
Article Reference
14003
ISI
000674547300011
Pubmed ID
34234197
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 30.07.2021
Last edited 02.10.2024
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