Speculations about nonthermal or microthermal effects of radiofrequency (RF) emissions have in part been driven by hypothetical physical mechanisms that may not be directly testable in experiments. The MMF engaged five prominent physical scientists to examine the plausibility and/or limits for speculations involving heating within cells and molecules, accumulation of small effects during long durations of exposure, field enhancements created by the detailed anatomy of tissues and cells, and ion motions at the molecular scale.

1. Effects of RF fields on ion transport and on DNA
This program was undertaken at the University of Maine to investigate whether ongoing natural molecular processes can be affected by an electric field. As is well known from classical dielectric theory and metallic conduction, even small fields may bias a process over a length of time if the effect does not average to zero. Therefore the project looked at what are the time, intensity, and frequency limits for electric field effects on processes such as conduction in ion channels, ion transport enzymes, and transcription of codes from DNA?

2. Modeling and simulating RF energy absorption in cellular systems
This program undertaken at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology looked at whether the anatomical and microanatomical structure of tissues, cells and cell membranes of RF-exposed matter enhance internal fields enough to lower the threshold for an effect on cell function. The project also looked at whether RF fields can introduce physicochemical signals larger than inherent background noise.

3. Energy accumulation in biologically active models due to RF absorption and possible biological effects
This was a program undertaken at Purdue University where the research objective was to look at whether resonant absorption can occur in macromolecules at radiofrequencies. That is, can RF energy persist long enough in a macromolecule to change its function or structure before being converted to heat?

4. A theoretical investigation of the effects of low-level RF fields on molecular transport, chemical reaction rates and rectification
The objective of this program, undertaken at the University of Colorado was to answer the question: Can gradients in the strength of an applied RF electric field at the interface between the cell membrane and extra cellular fluid result in forces large enough to effect ionic motions with possible subsequent effects on cellular function?

5. Micro and macroscopic study of RF absorption
This project was undertaken at the University of Pennsylvania to determine whether absorbed radiofrequency energy can create a large enough temperature gradient in cells and molecules to affect a biological process.