Petr Jandačka

Magnetically induced behaviour of ferritin corpuscles in avian ears: can cuticulosomes function as magnetosomes?

Magnetoreception is an enigmatic, poorly understood sensory ability, described mainly on the basis of behavioural studies in animals of diverse taxa. Recently, corpuscles containing superparamagnetic iron-storage protein ferritin were found in the inner ear hair cells of birds, a predominantly single ferritin corpuscle per cell. It was suggested that these corpuscles might represent magnetosomes and function as magnetosensors. Here we determine ferritin low-field paramagnetic susceptibility to estimate its magnetically induced intracellular behaviour. Physical simulations show that ferritin corpuscles cannot be deformed or rotate in weak geomagnetic fields, and thus cannot provide magnetoreception via deformation of the cuticular plate. Furthermore, we reached an alternative hypothesis that ferritin corpuscle in avian ears may function as an intracellular electromagnetic oscillator. Such an oscillator would generate additional cellular electric potential related to normal cell conditions. Though the phenomenon seems to be weak, this effect deserves further analyses.

Iron-based granules in body of bumblebees

The paper deals with the presence of iron-based granules in body parts of bumblebees. Two groups of bumblebees were collected from their natural habitat, industrial landscape, and from a breeding station. Detection of the magnetic particles was performed by a vibratory magnetometer and their morphology and elemental composition was analysed by scanning electron microscopy with EDX microanalysis. By means of the EDX spectra, wild bumblebees were found to have many magnetic and non-magnetic particles on their body, containing Fe, O, Al, Si, Bi, Mg, K, and Ni, likely having origin in the industrial pollution of the environment. In the case of bred bumblebees the presence of iron-rich granules, which occurred more abundantly in subsurface tissues on the head and wings, was observed. Phase analysis based on X-ray diffraction shows that iron-based granules contain magnetite and wuestite and Mössbauer spectroscopy admits a superparamagnetic form of these minerals. Magnetoreception, i.e. the sensory function of these granules, is discussed within the paper.

Size distributions of nanoparticles from magnetotactic bacteria as signatures of biologically controlled mineralization

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of magnetite nanoparticle size distributions in magnetotactic bacteria. The methods described in the paper can be used to determine the origin of natural magnetite nanoparticle samples. We analyzed 36 histograms related to bacterial, inorganic, and biomimetic nanoparticle sizes. Using statistical software we concluded that the size of the nanoparticles in cultured magnetotactic bacteria follows an extreme value distribution. Magnetite in uncultured samples can be treated as a two-component mixture containing extreme value and/or log-normally distributed nanoparticles. Analysis of the time-dependent formation of bacterial magnetite revealed that the magnetite size distribution transforms from the initial log-normal (young bacterial culture) through normal-like toward the extreme value distribution (evolved culture). It seems that at a certain moment during bacterial magnetite formation, the bacterial system starts to behave as a closed system. The closing of the system must be followed by another unknown process, because restriction of the nutrient supply into magnetosomes is insufficient for the generation of the extreme value distribution. Based on our analysis, approximately 50% of the magnetite particles in the martian meteorite ALH 84001 follow an extreme value distribution

Hypothetical superparamagnetic magnetometer in a pigeon’s upper beak probably does not work

We reanalysed the role of superparamagnetic magnetite clusters observed in a pigeon’s upper beak to decide if this matter can be a component of some sort of pigeon magnetometer for Earth orientation. We investigated the mutual interaction of the magnetite clusters induced by the geomagnetic field. The force sensitivity of the hypothetical magnetometer in a pigeon’s upper beak was estimated considering the previously presented threshold magnetic sensitivity of pigeons, measured in electrophysiological and behavioural investigations. The typical intercluster magnetic force seems to be 10−19N well above the threshold magnetic sensitivity. To strengthen our results, we measured the magnetic susceptibility of superparamagnetic magnetite using a vibrating sample magnetometer. Finally we performed theoretical kinematic analysis of the motion of magnetite clusters in cell plasma. The results indicate that magnetite clusters, constituted by superparamagnetic nanoparticles and observed in a pigeon’s upper beak, may not be a component of a measuring system providing the magnetic map.Graphical abstract

Morphology and Elemental Composition of Metal Based Granules in Wings of Bumblebees

The paper addresses detection and elemental analysis of solid metal-based particles/clusters present in wings of laboratory bread bumblebees. The goal of the article is detection and characterization of morphology and chemical composition of those particles. A combination of Gallium Focused Ion Beam (FIB)—Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping were used for evaluation of particles/clusters localization in the samples. FIB allowed etching of subsurface structures and deeper understanding of particles/clusters structure. EDS mapping revealed distribution of single elements in detected particles/clusters. It was found that all evaluated particles/clusters were based on iron or iron oxides and were associated with calcium structures. Several other elements such as Al, Mg, Ti, Zn or Si were also detected. Several hypotheses for role of the detected particles were introduced, however the real purpose was not revealed.

Magnetic sorbents biomineralization on the basis of iron sulphides

ABSTRACT Biomineralization means mineral formation under the influence of organisms. Sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) constitute an essential role of iron sulphide minerals precipitation. Their composition involves amorphous, non-stoichiometric or crystalline iron sulphides, weakly or strongly magnetic. Variation in environmental conditions can alter the reactive iron species within the mineral, potentially modifying their magnetic properties. Biogenic iron sulphide minerals can be used as heavy metals and toxic ions adsorbents in soil or water remediation. For these reasons, a series of laboratory-scale iron sulphide synthesis experiments with the aim to study the chemical composition, mineralogy and magnetic properties of iron sulphide precipitates were carried out using SRB under various cultivation mode and nutrient medium composition. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) showed formation of iron sulphides in all biogenic samples and iron phosphates in abiotic controls. Results of X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) in biomineralized samples confirmed nanocrystalline greigite, mackinawite and sulphur alpha. Magnetic measurements showed that sample prepared by static cultivation without addition of fresh nutrient medium was the most magnetic, magnetic hysteresis of sample formed under semicontinuous mode without any nutrient supply was the lowest. Abiotic samples contained only vivianite and they did not prove any significant response to magnetic field.

Investigation of Samples From the High-Velocity Water Jet Driven Micro/Nano Particle Collider

The power of the high-velocity waterjets has been utilized for intentional disintegration of material particles, namely minerals. Firstly, the garnet particles were tested and studied being used usually as the most common abrasive additives for waterjets improving their cutting abilities. Later on, other mineral particles have been investigated because there are some practical applications of them. Primarily, the product generated inside the mixing chamber and the focusing tube has been studied. Subsequently, the special colliding chamber has been designed and produced enabling the collision of the two opposite moving waterjets containing material particles. This device was named “Water Jet Driven Particle Collider”, shortly WJDPC. The product created in the collision of the opposite moving particle containing waterjets has particle sizes covering partially both the nano-scale and the micro-scale. The investigation of parameters influencing the amount of particles with sizes in respective dimension scales is the topic of the contribution. Some samples of special materials were studied and tested. The discussion of the results of the computational modeling of the suction process and its influence on the final product is included. All results are discussed regarding their application in practice and further development of special routings for material particle preparation.Copyright