An international consortium led by researchers from the CEA, in collaboration with the CNRS, has characterized the structure and function of a protein involved in the production of magnetite nanomagnets in so-called magnetotactic bacteria. This protein, MamP, is central to the metallurgical activity of these bacteria as it gives magnetite its magnetic properties. This is an important advance in the understanding of these bacteria and their biomineralization of magnetite. This should widen the field of biotechnological applications of these nanomagnets, particularly in medical imaging and water pollution. These results were published on the Nature website on October 6th 2013.
