The influence of 2.45 GHz discontinuous microwave (DW) irradiation has been studied on Escherichia coli membrane under exposure conditions leading to an average cell suspension temperature of 37°C. The results showed that cell membrane integrity was slightly altered when cell suspensions were submitted to powers ranging from 400 to 2000W. However this modification of membrane permeability seems to be transient. This study shows the importance of the characterization of exposure systems and the need to combine experimental and numerical dosimetry to study the interactions between microwaves and biological systems.
