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Characterization of Bacterial Magnetic Nanostructures Using High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy and Off-Axis Electron Holography

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Magnetoreception and Magnetosomes in Bacteria

Part of the book series: Microbiology Monographs ((MICROMONO,volume 3))

Abstract

Magnetotactic bacteria can be regarded as model systems for studying the structural, chemical, and magnetic properties of arrangements of ferrimagnetic iron oxide and sulfide nanocrystals. The aim of the present chapter is to show how the size, shape, crystal structure, crystallographic orientation, and spatial arrangement of bacterial magnetite (Fe 3 O 4) and greigite (Fe3S4) crystals affect their magnetic properties. We present recent results obtained using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, including high-resolution TEM imaging and off-axis electron holography.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ed Simpson and Anna Finlayson for contributions to the EH measurements, and Ryan Chong for ET. This chapter benefited greatly from ongoing collaborations and discussions with Richard Frankel, Dirk Schüler, Dennis Bazylinski, Peter Buseck, and István Dódony. We thank Jian-Min Zuo and Jim Mabon for use of their WebEMAPS HRTEM image simulation software, and Werner Kaminsky for making the WinXMorph crystal morphology software available. R.D.B. acknowledges the Royal Society for support and M.P. acknowledges support from the Hungarian Science Fund (OTKA-T030186).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Pannon University, POB 158, 8200, Veszprém, Hungary

    Mihály Pósfai

  2. Frontier Research System, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Hatoyama, 350-0395, Saitama, Japan

    Takeshi Kasama & Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski

  3. Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, CB2 3QZ, Cambridge, UK

    Takeshi Kasama & Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski

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  1. Mihály Pósfai
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  2. Takeshi Kasama
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  3. Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski
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Correspondence to Mihály Pósfai .

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Dirk Schüler

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Pósfai, M., Kasama, T., Dunin-Borkowski, R.E. (2006). Characterization of Bacterial Magnetic Nanostructures Using High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy and Off-Axis Electron Holography. In: Schüler, D. (eds) Magnetoreception and Magnetosomes in Bacteria. Microbiology Monographs, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/7171_044

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