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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Microbiology
  • Biomaterials

Background:

  • Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are motile microorganisms with potential for biomedical applications as biomicrorobots.
  • Biomicrorobots must navigate complex biological fluids, which are often non-Newtonian, like blood plasma and mucus.
  • The behavior of MTB in non-Newtonian fluids at a single-cell level remains largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the motility and directed navigation of Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 in varying concentrations of polyacrylamide (PAM) solutions.
  • To assess the impact of non-Newtonian fluid properties, mimicking biological mucus, on MTB behavior.
  • To determine the threshold concentration of PAM affecting MTB trajectory linearity and magnetic responsiveness.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing of Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1.
  • Preparation of polyacrylamide (PAM) solutions at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, and 3 mg/mL to mimic mucus.
  • Microscopic observation and analysis of individual bacterium swimming speeds, trajectory angles, and direction reversals in different PAM concentrations under an applied magnetic field.

Main Results:

  • MTB swimming speed initially increased from 44.0 ± 13.6 μm/s in 0 mg/mL PAM to 52.73 ± 15.6 μm/s in 1 mg/mL PAM.
  • Speed decreased significantly at higher concentrations: 24.51 ± 11.7 μm/s in 2 mg/mL and 21.23 ± 10.5 μm/s in 3 mg/mL PAM.
  • Above a threshold PAM concentration, trajectories deviated more from magnetic field lines, showed reduced linearity, and increased direction reversals.

Conclusions:

  • Magnetotactic bacteria can be directed in polymer concentrations that mimic biological mucus.
  • Medium viscosity significantly influences the linearity of MTB trajectories, altering their effective path compared to Newtonian fluids.
  • These findings highlight the importance of fluid rheology in the magnetotactic navigation of bacteria for potential biomedical applications.