Also: magnetosomes, bacteria that make magnets, magnetite crystals
Magnetotactic bacteria grow chains of tiny magnetic crystals inside their cells and line up with Earth's magnetic field like living compass needles.
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Uebe and Schüler reviewed how magnetotactic bacteria build their magnetic organelles (magnetosomes) and the value of giving non-magnetic bacteria this ability.
As reported in: Uebe, Schüler (2016). Magnetosome biogenesis in magnetotactic bacteria. Nature Reviews Microbiology. doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2016.99
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Blakemore observed marine sediment bacteria that swim along the geomagnetic field and contain iron-rich particles inside membrane vesicles, which could act as a magnet in fields as weak as 0.5 gauss.
As reported in: Blakemore (1975). Magnetotactic Bacteria. Science. doi:10.1126/science.170679
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Frankel, Blakemore and Wolfe identified magnetite as the magnetic mineral in a freshwater magnetotactic spirillum.
As reported in: Frankel, Blakemore, Wolfe (1979). Magnetite in Freshwater Magnetotactic Bacteria. Science. doi:10.1126/science.203.4387.1355
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