Radio frequency waves (RF) are electromagnetic waves between the frequencies of 3 kilohertz to 300 gigahertz, used in radio, cellphones, wi-fi, radar, GPS, and many other systems. While humans have used RF technology to communicate for over 100 years, no living organism has ever been observed using RF to communicate without technology.
Scientists have known for a long time that “certain biological organisms ranging from bacteria to birds possess the faculty of magnetoreception, i.e., the ability to sense the earth’s magnetic field.” Scientists have also wondered whether electromagnetic waves might play a role in intra- and inter-cell signaling.
Researchers have suggested since the 1960s, for example, that terahertz frequencies emanate from cell membranes, but they’ve lacked the technology and tools to conduct reproducible experiments that could prove whether electromagnetic waves constitute purposeful signals for biological function—or if they’re merely background noise. With recent advances in technology and modeling, experiments may now be possible to test signaling hypotheses.
DARPA has launched a new program to explore whether electromagnetic waves are purposefully transmitted and received within or between cells and, if so, to leverage those insights not just for biosystems but also for communicating in cluttered electromagnetic environments
Our interest is first to determine whether there is any purposeful EM signaling between biosystems that we can model in terms of a transmit-receiver communication channel of some kind. DARPA is looking for low power and possibly resonant interactions between structures in those biosystems. If this proves successful and we find such signaling occurs, we should be able to model it and reproduce experimental results with confidence. Following this, the next step could be to try to make use of EM waves for, example, medical purposes.
DARPA funds projects that are high risk, but with high potential. The risk is that no one has ever observed RF activity from a live animal and the concept might prove unobservable. But if Deheyn and his collaborators can detect biologically active RF, the rewards for biology would be huge. In the future, it’s possible humans could build a cell phone antenna using just molecular units or a soft, biological material such as tissue, researchers said.
“There are many complex interactions within and between cells, so determining if electromagnetic waves, which could be low or high frequencies, somehow play a role in transmitting and receiving meaningful signals through what might be an ion-rich, aqueous solution is a significant challenge,” said Mike Fiddy, DARPA program manager.
“If we can prove that purposeful signaling is happening, the next step would be to discover how the process works. This insight could eventually lead to a broad range of technologies important in biology as well as new small antenna designs, and other innovative concepts for communication systems in ever increasing cluttered electromagnetic environments.”
“This project is the first step to open the door towards a very new field. It would be a scientific first if we can find situations where the radio frequencies alter behavior of some organisms, or if we can measure RF from them,” Deheyn said.
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