Date of Award

Spring 2002

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Program/Concentration

Electrical Engineering

Committee Director

Karl H. Schoenbach

Committee Member

Stephen J. Beebe

Committee Member

Linda L. Vahala

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.E55 C565 2002

Abstract

Numerous studies have been completed over the past several years to look at the non-thermal effects of low-level radiofrequency exposure on biological systems. These studies were done to determine if exposure to radiofrequency fields are safe, or if they may lead to health problems or changes to any of the biological processes continually occurring within the human body. Responses measured include stress responses (I), gene expression (2), cell proliferation (3), cell morphology (4), and changes in DNA (5).

Dispersion is the most common model for explaining the electric behavior of biomaterials. It refers to the corresponding frequency domain concept of relaxation, which is the time required for dipolar molecules to orient themselves after an excitation signal. Small dispersions have been observed in protein solutions at 0.1 to I GHz (6). This observation led to the design of this study in which the objective was to determine if exposure to low-level radiofrequencies, in the range of 0.1 to I GHz, had any nonthermal effects on gene expression.

Effects on gene expression were determined by transient transfections of human cells with two different reporter plasmids. One type contained a firefly luciferase gene coupled to a CRE element and the other contained a renilla luciferase gene coupled to a SplRE element. The cells were then exposed to radiofrequencies of 800, 835, and 847.74 MHz at low power levels. After exposure, the cells were analyzed for gene expression using a quantitative dual-luciferase assay. The dual-luciferase assay measures a photon of emitted light, and the quantity of light emitted is directly proportional to the level of luciferase gene expression. The results of this study showed that there were no effects in gene expression for the firefly luciferase gene atter exposure to 800, 835, and 847.74 MHz at electric field strengths of 0. 53, 0.83, and 1.67 V/cm.

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DOI

10.25777/6kb9-7d60

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