Bacteria discovered uses magnetic properties to navigate

Two of Berkeley's fellows are investigating a certain type of aquatic bacteria that seems to use iron to travel on a magnetic field.

“They were discovered in the mid 1960s and then essentially rediscovered about ten years later,” Arash Komeili told Berkeley Research about the iron-mining bacteria. “But how the bacteria actually carry out this process has not been well studied.”

Komeili told Berkeley Research the magnetite is converted by the bacteria, which in turn helps the bacteria to orient and navigate within geomagnetic fields. 

There have been roughly 30 species identified that possess magnetosomes, but just how prevalent this trait is remains unknown. 

“Initially we thought they were simpler precursors to magnetosomes, carrying out just the first steps of the process,” Komeili told Berkeley Research. 

Komeili is hopeful his team will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the process of this bacteria, as it may lead to more discoveries. 

“We want to gain a better understanding of this process,” Komeili told Berkeley Research. “The Bakar Fellows funding will support more research on the protein transporters that ferry metal into the ferrosomes.”