Potential of magnetotactic bacteria for the fabrication of iron nanoparticles

Abstract

Magnetotactic bacteria are typically found in soils rich in iron. These prokaryote bacteria have the property of using ingesting atoms of iron and generating magnetosomes of nanoparticles of either diamagnetic or paramagnetic nature within each cell. We report on the use of magnetotatic bacteria for the production of uniform nanoparticles of iron mineral magnetite (Fe3O4). The potential for mass production was investigated along with the molecular, physical, and magnetic properties of the magnetosomes using various growth and microscopy techniques. Results reveal that the magnetic particles are stable and that bacteria growth can be optimized to produce magnetosomes with different magnetic properties, suggesting that the industrial development of these bio manufactures lies in the foreseeable future.