Lack of Genetic Effects of Ultrawide-Band Electromagnetic Radiation in Yeast

Abstract

Genetic effects of ultrawide-band (UWB) radiation pulses were studied in the D7 strain of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast cells were exposed in suspension for 30 min at the UWB pulse repetition rates of 0 Hz (sham treatment), 16 Hz, and 600 Hz. Measured parameters of UWB pulses were as following: 101-104 kV/m peak voltage, 164-166 ps rise time, 1.01-1.02 ns pulse width, and 0 Hz-2 GHz spectral bandwidth. Cells were plated immediately after the exposure and incubated for 7 days at 30°C; then normal and aberrant colonies (mitotic crossovers, segregants, revertants, and convertants) were scored. The experiments established no statistically significant effect of UWB exposure on the colony-forming ability of yeast cells or the occurrence of mutations and chromosome recombinations.