The Effect of Surface Plasmon Resonance on Bacteria Morphology

Cells are known to be affected significantly due to persistent exposure to electro- magnetic radiation. DNA can be damaged by electromagnetic waves in several ways that may lead to genetic changes. Cellular multiplication plays an important role in the survival of life. This multiplication involves a strand of DNA going through several steps which include proofreading mechanisms to protect DNA from damages. These repair mechanisms range from specific ”locate and repair” systems to ”damage tolerance” repairs. With many damage events per cell per day the errors that do make it through the repair process are seen as mutations to the genetic code and may be expressed as changes in morphology. Application of the Jaynes-Cummings model may help to understand these processes in more detail. The interaction of DNA with radiation is studied as an interaction of matter with electromagnetic waves. Through this investigation, the physically expressed response of bacteria exposed to surface plasmons is explored. This approach is used to measure the changes in morphology which may be associated with the interaction of DNA with surface plasmons. Af- ter exposure to weak magnetic fields, both the exposed group and the control group expressed similar changes in bacteria size. These results suggest surface plasmons produced in gold may have a larger effect on living organisms than those generated in steel.