michaelOct 20

20-Oct-2025
Did marine life in the palaeocene use a #compass?
Based on a sophisticated method, an international team has succeeded in mapping #magnetic domains in giant fossilised magnetic #microparticles: these may have served as compasses for ancient organisms

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1102450

#science #nanoworld #evolution #astrobiology #magnetotactic #microbiology

Did marine life in the palaeocene use a compass?

Some ancient marine organisms produced mysterious magnetic particles of unusually large size, which can now be found as fossils in marine sediments. An international team has succeeded in mapping the magnetic domains on one of such ‘giant magnetofossils’ using a sophisticated method at the Diamond X-ray source. Their analysis shows that these particles could have allowed these organisms to sense tiny variations in both the direction and intensity of the Earth’s magnetic field, enabling them to geolocate themselves and navigate across the ocean. The method offers a powerful tool for magnetically testing whether putative biological iron oxide particles in Mars samples have a biogenic origin.

EurekAlert!
PLOS BiologyJul 14, 2024
.@KaylaStoy & @wc_ratcliff explore a #PLOSBiology study which shows that #multicellular #magnetotactic #bacteria form obligately multicellular consortia of genetically diverse cells with rudimentary division of labor Paper: https://plos.io/460zcGC Primer: https://plos.io/3LnqVD1
Multicellular magnetotactic bacteria are genetically heterogeneous consortia with metabolically differentiated cells

Multicellular magnetotactic bacteria (MMB) are unique in having no unicellular stage in their life cycle. This study characterizes the genomics and physiology of MMB consortia at single cell resolution, revealing that individual cells are not genetically identical and exhibit significant metabolic differentiation, highlighting their level of complexity.

PLOS BiologyJul 12, 2024
#Multicellular #magnetotactic #bacteria (MMB) have no unicellular stage. @SchaibleGeorge @environmicrobio &co's study of MMB consortia shows that individual cells are not genetically identical & have significant metabolic differentiation #PLOSBiology https://plos.io/460zcGC
Multicellular magnetotactic bacteria are genetically heterogeneous consortia with metabolically differentiated cells

Multicellular magnetotactic bacteria (MMB) are unique in having no unicellular stage in their life cycle. This study characterizes the genomics and physiology of MMB consortia at single cell resolution, revealing that individual cells are not genetically identical and exhibit significant metabolic differentiation, highlighting their level of complexity.

Sterling EricssonJun 1, 2023

Bioremediation of contaminated waterways, particularly those flush with heavy metals and radioactive materials, is an expensive and time-consuming process.

One potential avenue is the use of magnetotactic bacteria that can accumulate such materials and be themselves removed via magnets.

Now, scientists have analyzed and shown the ability of M. magneticum to bind uranium via their cell walls.

#Bioremediation #Microbiology #Bacteria #Magnetotactic #Science #Scicomm

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389422011694?via%3Dihub

michaelNov 3, 2022
Key gene networks that control magnetite biomineralization in prokaryotes https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/969952 love #magnetotactic bacteria
Key gene networks that control magnetite biomineralization in prokaryotes

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a group of phylogenetically and morphologically diverse prokaryotes. They have the capability of sensing Earth’s magnetic field via nanocrystals of magnetic iron minerals enclosed within intracellular membranes known as magnetosomes. Although MTB were discovered over half a century ago, the study of the magnetosome biogenesis and organization remains limited to a few cultured MTB strains. Prof. Jinhua Li and Prof. Yongxin Pan’s lab at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS) propose a general model for gene networks that control/regulate magnetosome biogenesis and chain assembly in MTB systems, which provides a guiding framework for further molecular biology studies.

EurekAlert!