A Genetic Nano-Toolkit for the Generation of New Biomaterials

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Magnetic bacteria might soon be used for the production of novel biomaterials. A team of microbiologists at the University of Bayreuth led by Prof. Dr. Dirk Schi1/4ler developed a modular system for the genetic reprogramming of bacteria, thereby turning the organisms into cell factories for multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles that combine various useful functions and properties. Because of their exceptional magnetic properties and good biocompatibility, these nanoparticles might be a promising new material in the biomedical and biotechnological field. In the journal Small the scientists presented their findings.

Magnetic bacteria of the species Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense align their swimming behaviour along the Earth's magnetic field. Within the cells, magnetic nanoparticles, the magnetosomes, are arranged in a chain-like manner, thereby forming an intracellular compass needle. Each magnetosome consists of a magnetic iron oxide core surrounded by a membrane. In addition to lipids, this membrane also contains a variety of different proteins. The microbiologists of the University of Bayreuth have now succeeded in the coupling of biochemically active functional groups, which originate from various foreign organisms, to these proteins. The method used here starts at the stage of the genes that are responsible for the biosynthesis of the membrane proteins. These bacterial genes are fused to foreign genes from other organisms that control the production of the respective functional proteins. As soon as the genes are re-integrated into the genome, the reprogrammed bacteria produce magnetosomes that display these foreign proteins permanently installed on the particle surface.

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