Flexible Copper-Based TEM Grid for Microscopic Characterization of Aged Magnetotactic Bacteria MS-1 and Their Magnetosome Crystals in Air-Dried Droplet

TL;DR

Researchers studied magnetotactic bacteria and their magnetic crystals using a simple method to preserve their natural state for potential biomedical and environmental uses.

Contribution

A low-cost, coating-free method was used to observe aged magnetotactic bacteria and their magnetosomes without altering their natural state.

Findings

The cell morphology and magnetosome organization of aged MS-1 bacteria remained observable after 10 months of storage.

The method allows direct observation of bacteria without conductive coating or chemical fixation.

The results suggest magnetotactic bacteria could serve as natural alternatives to synthetic magnetic nanoparticles.

Abstract

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) have attracted interest in recent years, mainly due to their natural ability to form intracellular magnetic nanocrystals with potential for biomedical and environmental applications. In this study, we focused on the morphological analysis of the Paramagnetospirillum magnetotacticum MS-1 strain, trying to keep the bacteria as close to their natural state as possible. An important element of this work is the use of untreated bacterial cells, without conductive coating or chemical fixation, using a simple and low-cost support. This choice was made intentionally to avoid changes induced by metallization and to allow direct observation of characteristics that may be relevant in applications where the interaction of the bacteria with the environment plays an important role, such as biosensors. In addition, the analysis was performed on a bacterial suspension stored for approximately 10 months at 4 °C to assess whether the morphology specific to the MS-1 strain is maintained over time. The obtained results show that the general cell morphology and magnetosome organization can be clearly and reproducibly observed even after long-term storage. Without attempting to replace studies based on conventional sample preparation methods, this work provides a complementary perspective and suggests that magnetotactic bacteria may represent a natural and effective alternative to synthetic magnetic nanoparticles, with potential applications in the biomedical and environmental fields.

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