Biotechnological and Medical Applications of Magnetotactic Bacteria and Bacterial Magnetite Nanoparticles
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 228
Special Issue Editors
Interests: environmental microbiology; magnetotactic microorganisms; magnetosomes; biomineralization; biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: environmental microbiology; geomicrobiology; magnetic nanoparticles; magnetotactic bacteria; microbial biomineralization; microbial biotechnology; microbial geochemistry
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing field in science and engineering that has great potential and application in virtually all areas of human activities (e.g., medicine). In particular, magnetic nanoparticles are currently being examined in great detail as the next-generation tools for the introduction of drugs and treatment of many health conditions as well as in the creation of new, innovative materials and energy technologies. Magnetic nanocrystals can be synthesized by several means: First, through nonbiological chemical processes, and second, through biomineralization (biological synthesis). While some methods of synthesizing magnetic mineral magnetite (the mineral most often used in magnetic nanocrystal applications) have a high cost and demand high energy input, magnetotactic bacteria produce single-magnetic-domain magnetite nanocrystals during growth at room (ambient) temperature. These membrane-bounded crystals are referred to as magnetosomes and present distinct crystalline characteristics (e.g., crystal sizes and shapes) that are consistent within a particular species of magnetotactic bacterium, indicating that magnetite magnetosome synthesis is under strict genetic control in magnetotactic bacteria. In the last two decades, the number of medical, nanotechnological, biotechnological, and other applications and potential uses of magnetotactic bacteria and magnetite magnetosomes has increased significantly, partially because of the development of easier, cheaper, less complex methods of growing magnetotactic bacteria. In this Special Issue, we invite researchers to contribute original research or review articles covering the diverse applications and uses of magnetotactic bacteria/magnetosomes in medicine, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, with an emphasis on specific approaches. In addition, we welcome strategies for culturing magnetotactic bacteria in a large scale or the development of biomimetic systems based on magnetosome proteins. Potential topics also include methods used in the functionalization of magnetosomes, development of nanoformulations and their chemical characterization, and novel nanoscale-resolution methods to study biomineralization or crystal oxidation and dissolution or composition.
Dr. Fernanda Abreu
Prof. Dennis A. Bazylinski
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- Magnetotactic bacteria
- Magnetosomes
- Biomineralization
- Magnetite
- Large-scale synthesis
- Biomimetic
- Functionalization biotechnology
- Drug delivery
- Magnetic hyperthermia
