Optimization of the culture of magnetotactic bacteria

Optimization of the growth of magnetotactic bacteria

This result was obtained in partnership with UPMC.

We introduced chemical molecules with high affinity for iron, known as iron-chelating agents, into the growth medium of magnetotactic bacteria. This resulted in:

• Stimulation of the growth of magnetotactic bacteria (up to a factor of 8);
• An increase in the production yield of magnetosomes (up to a factor of 6);
• An increase in the average size of magnetosomes by about 20%.

The figure below summarizes the effect of adding iron-chelating agents to the bacterial growth medium on magnetosome production.