Non-ionizing radiation-specific biomarker research at the united states air force research laboratory

Military communication, detection and ranging, and recent weapons technologies involve various forms of directed energy (DE) that are considered nonionizing, such as radio waves, microwaves, Terahertz-and optical radiation. Severe overexposure to DE is known to cause damage to living tissue through either photochemical or thermal mechanisms. However, below the standard-defined damage thresholds of DE, biological changes are more difficult to ascertain. Past experimentation has shown that DE induces hyperthermia, localized or systemic, that will resolve itself over time. No mutagenic effects, tumor promotion, or changes in fertility and longevity have been observed. Owing to the relatively low photon energies produced by DE devices, the biological effects at the molecular level involve multiple markers that exhibit only moderate changes. For this reason, new approaches to DE-induced biomarker detection and analysis need to be taken, which meet required sensitivity, sampling scope, depth of analysis, and accessibility. Technology development efforts need to focus on harnessing the gamut of biomedical knowledge to maximize diagnostic power and deliver appropriate answers in real-time to the end user. This vision of instant diagnosis is shared by the biomedical community as well as the Department of Defense. The Air Force Research Laboratory and medical research detachments of the US Army and Navy are jointly performing DE-related bioeffects research, characterizing the impact of exposure on humans, protecting the war-fighter on the battlefield, assuring the safe operation of DE devices, evaluating exposure-related health issues, and contributing to safety standards.