Investigating Bees’ Geomagnetic Field Sensing through X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging

Magnetoreception is important for animals by helping them orient and navigate by sensing the Earth's geomagnetic field and is widespread across various species. However, locating magnetoreceptors has been notoriously challenging, previously described as searching for "a needle in a haystack”. We believe X-ray fluorescence imaging (XRF) offers significant advantages over visible light microscopy or electron microscopy, including a broader field of view and element-specific detection. The goal of this proposal is to assess the feasibility of using XRF to detect and map the distribution of magnetite in bees. If successful, this approach could accelerate research by providing a comprehensive map of magnetite distribution in animal bodies, guiding further investigations at the molecular and cellular levels.