(SOUNDBITE OF MICROWAVE BEEPING)
SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The microwave announces that the ramen is done and all bubbly hot.
(SOUNDBITE OF MICROWAVE OPENING)
SIMON: Sometimes, it's all you can do to get it out of the microwave with a makeshift oven mitt of wadded-up paper towels. And if you spill a drop, grab a sponge later. Manuel Porcar recommends now. He's a microbiologist who calls himself a bacterial hunter, and he's the author of new research on radiation-resistant microbes. Mr. Porcar, thanks so much for being with us.
MANUEL PORCAR: You're welcome. It's a pleasure.
SIMON: What are these radiation-resistant microbes?
PORCAR: So in fact, we were studying microwaves that you and I can have at our homes. And we discover in those microwaves a lot of micro-organisms that are common in other surfaces of the kitchen.
SIMON: I guess I assumed that micro-organisms just couldn't survive in a microwave.
PORCAR: It is amazing how resistant they are. So there were micro-organisms that were left by the astronauts on the surface of the moon after the Apollo missions, and the last (laughter) missions recovered the machine that was left for many months on the moon. You can imagine how harsh the environment is. And the micro-organisms were alive. And you can find micro-organisms that live at higher temperatures than 100 degrees. I mean, in boiling water - and they can resist super acidic conditions, a lot of pressure. They can live even on nuclear plants. In the uranium bars, sometimes there are biofilms of micro-organisms attached to the radioactive uranium.
SIMON: What makes them so resistant? Do we know?
PORCAR: It depends on what is the environment that they are resistant to. In the case of the micro-organisms that we found in the microwaves, they are very likely resistant because they are producing compounds as a kind of sunscreens to protect themselves against the radiation that is present in the microwaves. This is our hypothesis.
SIMON: Certain foods more conducive to these little guys than some others?
PORCAR: Yeah. For example, fresh fish, frozen fish, as well, or meat, particularly chicken, is well-known to have a certain amount of micro-organisms. Some of them can be pathogenic, like salmonella, listeria and others. Certainly, if you cook them well with a microwave, you're going to eliminate a lot of them, but not all of them. This means that you could not rely on your microwave to sterilize your food.
SIMON: I got to tell you, I'm not sure I want to use the microwave again, and I'm very impressed by micro-organisms and their virtuosity.
PORCAR: So I'm impressed, as well, but I suggest you to use your microwave. I also have one, and I use it very often. I have a coffee machine that we discovered some time ago that is full of micro-organisms, as well. But we shouldn't be afraid of micro-organisms because the vast majority of micro-organisms are good. Just clean it with soap, with regular products that people use to clean the kitchen. And from time to time, maybe it's a good idea to use some diluted bleach. That is a very, very effective antimicrobial agent. Just use common sense.
And of course, I understand that you are not going to use it by putting the meat or the food directly on top of the glass tray, but you're going to use a dish, which, of course, there's - makes a physical separation between the microwave itself and the food. So yes, please use it, and it's not a major problem, I would say.
SIMON: Microbiologist Manuel Porcar, thanks so much for speaking with us.
PORCAR: It has been a real pleasure.
(SOUNDBITE OF EMANCIPATOR'S "BARALKU") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
