Recent research suggests that the exceptional navigational abilities of migratory animals may be influenced not just by the Earth’s magnetic fields but also by magnetic bacteria residing within them. Robert Fitak, an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF), has spearheaded this research by developing a comprehensive DNA database. This database houses millions of sequences that indicate the presence of various magnetic bacteria in animals, serving as a vital tool for exploring this fascinating relationship.

Fitak’s journey into this research began in 2020 when he, along with colleagues from the UK and Israel, proposed that magnetic bacteria might play a role in animal navigation. Since then, Fitak has diligently analyzed vast amounts of genetic data to categorize which animals host these bacteria and identify any recurring patterns. Our first study involved reviewing existing datasets to summarize where these bacteria were found in different animals, Fitak explains. We analyzed around 50,000 previous scientific studies. Now, we’ve expanded to a global genetic information database, analyzing trillions of genetic sequences.

This significant database, published earlier this year in Data in Brief, utilizes data from the publicly available Sequence Read Archive of the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The aim is to organize DNA sequences from various animal species that match known magnetic bacteria, assisting researchers in identifying potential host organisms and examining the environmental and ecological roles of these bacteria.

Fitak and his team believe that understanding how animals navigate can aid in conservation efforts, particularly for endangered or protected species. If we know where and how animals move, we can make more precise management decisions, Fitak says. He is particularly interested in determining if magnetic bacteria reside in specific regions within animals, such as the nervous system, potentially enhancing their navigational abilities. It’s like a microbial compass, and we’re studying how it might work, Fitak explains. We already know animals use the Earth’s magnetic field as a compass.

Beyond animal navigation, this research could have broader applications. Scientists might mimic how animals detect magnetic fields for purposes such as drug delivery. However, conclusive evidence linking these bacteria to animal navigation is still elusive. We don’t yet know if these bacteria detect magnetic fields for the animal, but we do have evidence they live within them, Fitak states. We’ve identified genetic signatures of these bacteria in various animals, including humans.

These bacteria typically inhabit low-oxygen environments like sediments, forming microscopic, magnetized iron chains to aid their movement. How animals acquire these bacteria remains unclear, though ingestion or absorption is a possibility. So far, our projects show these magnetic bacteria are a regular component of many species’ microbiomes, Fitak notes. Future research aims to determine if these bacteria are incidental environmental acquisitions or functional components of magnetic detection for their hosts.

Fitak’s team, including doctoral student Julianna Martin, focuses on green and loggerhead sea turtles, known for their precise migratory patterns. Sea turtles are a model for animal navigation, says Fitak. Martin has been instrumental in analyzing and collecting samples, extracting DNA to identify bacteria within turtle tears, collected from nesting females and juveniles. We started with tear ducts as they are associated with nerves potentially linked to magnetic sensing, Martin explains.

The progress is promising, but Martin and the team hope to reach more definitive conclusions. This research is thrilling, Martin shares. Nobody had specifically looked for these bacteria in sea turtles before. We’re keen to discover their origin and the species of magnet-producing bacteria each turtle species harbors.

The potential discovery of magnetic bacteria aiding animal navigation is astounding. It’s exciting to tell people that bacteria exist that create magnets, Fitak says. It would be incredible if animals really use these magnetic bacteria for navigation. Researchers interested in this field are encouraged to explore Fitak’s compiled data, available online.

SOURCES

University of Central Florida

Robert R. Fitak, The magneto-microbiome: A dataset of the metagenomic distribution of magnetotactic bacteria, Data in Brief, vol.53 (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2024.110073

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