The scientific context of the MH2F team deals with the interaction of electromagnetic fields and fluids at the micro and nanoscales, and notably at the molecular and cellular levels for health and life sciences. More precisely, it is based on the possibility of microwaves and millimeterwaves to penetrate the matter. The crossed material may be probed due to its electrical properties, which have modified the electromagnetic waves. Microwave dielectric spectroscopy is consequently very attractive as a non-destructive and contact-less analyzing technique and widely developed since decades at the macroscale.
The major objective of the MH2F team is therefore to take advantages of Microwave Dielectric Spectroscopy - MDS - at the microscale to investigate fluids for various applicative domains such as chemistry, environment, biology, and medicine notably. At the cellular level, the frequency domain of micro and millimeterwaves permits indeed to overpass the bi-lipid membrane of biological cells, giving access to the interior of the cells and maybe even penetrating the nucleus of the cells.
In complementarity, high frequency signals are still creating large controversy due to their potential impacts on the living. A report of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) concluded in 2009 that no consensus between the different studies was yet obtained on RF genotoxicity and that appropriate dosimetry was required. To fulfill such a gap, MH2F team is also developing miniature metrology and applicators to evaluate the effect of RF signals on the living. This constitutes our second objective.