Magnetotactic Bacteria, Magnetosomes, and Nanotechnology

Magnetotactic bacteria are motile, mostly aquatic, ubiquitous prokaryotes whose direction of swimming is profoundly influenced by the Earth’s and other magnetic fields. These microorganisms biomineralize magnetosomes which are intracellular, tens of nanometer sized, membrane-bounded magnetic crystals of the minerals magnetite (Fe3O4) and greigite (Fe3S4). Magnetosomes are anchored within the cell and cause it to passively align along magnetic field lines while it swims. Construction of the magnetosome chain is an elaborate biomineralization process that is under strict genetic and environmental control. Because of their unique magnetic and physical properties, magnetotactic bacteria and their unique organelles are useful in numerous scientific, commercial, and medical applications.