410
Electromagnetic Fields in Biological Systems
by Jurkat cells exposed to THz radiation or hyperthermic stress. From this data, we
drew several conclusions. First, many genes were markedly upregulated in both the
THz and heat exposed groups. This suggests that THz radiation and heating both trigger dramatic cellular responses. Second, many genes were expressed in the THz group,
which were not expressed in bulk heating group. This suggests that THz radiation may
cause specific effects to human cells that are not observed in bulk heated cells. Over
the next few months, our research group plans to conduct qPCR experiments to verify
these preliminary results.
7.6 Conclusion and Future Prospects
In this chapter, we have provided an introduction to the THz spectral band, an overview
of the most commonly used THz sources, and highlights of modern THz imaging and
spectroscopy applications. After laying down the foundation, we then provided a comprehensive review of THz-tissue optics, thermal effects, and relevance to international
safety standards. We concluded with a discussion of the biological effects of THz radiation at a cellular, organelle, and biomolecular level.
In the future, we anticipate that THz sources will be developed that are capable of
generating greater than a few Watts of power. The types of sources that are most likely
to lead the way include THz-QCLs, miniaturized BWOs, and compact FEL sources.
These technological advances will likely foster the creation of many new applications
that use THz radiation, such as in high speed wireless communications. In addition,
THz imaging and spectroscopy technologies are expected to find widespread use in
medical, military, and defense applications. As is the case with most emerging and/
or new applications, the ever increasing use of THz radiation is expected to continue
to increase the public’s concerns regarding the dangers associated with them. We
believe that most of these concerns will be properly addressed in studies performed
over the next 5 to 10 years. We also hope that the studies conducted during this time
frame will help lay the groundwork that paves the way for the next generation of THz
researchers.
Acknowledgments
We wish to thank the National Academy of Sciences NRC Research Associateship program and the Air Force Research Laboratory for providing us with the opportunities to
conduct THz research. In particular, we would like to thank Dr. Morley Stone and Dr.
Walter Kozumbo for their consistent support. This work was supported by grants provided by AFRL, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), HQAF SGRS Clinical
Investigation Program: “Determination of Cellular Bioeffect Thresholds for Terahertz
Frequencies.” This work was also supported by Partnership for Education and Research
in Materials (PREM) provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Division
of Materials Research Award (#0934218). This chapter is dedicated to my grandfather
Dominic Cameratta, a courageous and loving man who passed away on December 26,
2010.
Electromagnetic Fields in Biological Systems
by Jurkat cells exposed to THz radiation or hyperthermic stress. From this data, we
drew several conclusions. First, many genes were markedly upregulated in both the
THz and heat exposed groups. This suggests that THz radiation and heating both trigger dramatic cellular responses. Second, many genes were expressed in the THz group,
which were not expressed in bulk heating group. This suggests that THz radiation may
cause specific effects to human cells that are not observed in bulk heated cells. Over
the next few months, our research group plans to conduct qPCR experiments to verify
these preliminary results.
7.6 Conclusion and Future Prospects
In this chapter, we have provided an introduction to the THz spectral band, an overview
of the most commonly used THz sources, and highlights of modern THz imaging and
spectroscopy applications. After laying down the foundation, we then provided a comprehensive review of THz-tissue optics, thermal effects, and relevance to international
safety standards. We concluded with a discussion of the biological effects of THz radiation at a cellular, organelle, and biomolecular level.
In the future, we anticipate that THz sources will be developed that are capable of
generating greater than a few Watts of power. The types of sources that are most likely
to lead the way include THz-QCLs, miniaturized BWOs, and compact FEL sources.
These technological advances will likely foster the creation of many new applications
that use THz radiation, such as in high speed wireless communications. In addition,
THz imaging and spectroscopy technologies are expected to find widespread use in
medical, military, and defense applications. As is the case with most emerging and/
or new applications, the ever increasing use of THz radiation is expected to continue
to increase the public’s concerns regarding the dangers associated with them. We
believe that most of these concerns will be properly addressed in studies performed
over the next 5 to 10 years. We also hope that the studies conducted during this time
frame will help lay the groundwork that paves the way for the next generation of THz
researchers.
Acknowledgments
We wish to thank the National Academy of Sciences NRC Research Associateship program and the Air Force Research Laboratory for providing us with the opportunities to
conduct THz research. In particular, we would like to thank Dr. Morley Stone and Dr.
Walter Kozumbo for their consistent support. This work was supported by grants provided by AFRL, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), HQAF SGRS Clinical
Investigation Program: “Determination of Cellular Bioeffect Thresholds for Terahertz
Frequencies.” This work was also supported by Partnership for Education and Research
in Materials (PREM) provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Division
of Materials Research Award (#0934218). This chapter is dedicated to my grandfather
Dominic Cameratta, a courageous and loving man who passed away on December 26,
2010.