SAXS/WAXS investigations of magnetosomes from Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense.

Aim of this proposal is to study the structure of magnetosomes, which are chains of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles that we are able to extract and purify from Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense bacteria. Magnetosomes are of significant interest as tools for delivery drugs to a targeted area because of their small size, ferromagnetic properties and presence of membrane proteins embedded in the lipid bilayer that covers the surface of the iron oxide core. Structural information regarding core and layer dimensions as well as core crystallinity and number of magnetosome units per chain will be obtained with SAXS and WAXS experiments that we plan to perform on samples obtained by bacteria that have been grown under a wide range of controlled conditions.