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Artificial magnetic bacteria 'turn' food into natural drugs

Date:
May 12, 2014
Source:
University of Granada
Summary:
Scientists have successfully created magnetic bacteria that could be added to foodstuffs and could, after ingestion, help diagnose diseases of the digestive system like stomach cancer. These important findings constitute the first use of a food as a natural drug and aid in diagnosing an illness, anywhere in the world.
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Scientists from the University of Granada have successfully created magnetic bacteria that could be added to foodstuffs and could, after ingestion, help diagnose diseases of the digestive system like stomach cancer. These important findings constitute the first use of a food as a natural drug and aid in diagnosing an illness, anywhere in the world.

The researchers -- members of Bionanomet, the Metallic Bionanoparticle research group of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry and the Institute of Biotechnology of theUniversity of Granada -- have conducted this research in collaboration with BIOSEARCH SA, a private company. Their results have been published in the latest issue of Advanced Functional Materials.

To design these magnetic bacteria, the researchers looked to Nature. They tried to copy magnetobacteria, which naturally produce very limited numbers of internal magnets that, essentially, provide them with a means of orienting themselves as if they possessed an internal compass.

Biomedical applications

These artificial magnetic bacteria could have biomedical applications in magnetic resonance imaging -- to facilitate diagnosis -- or in heating malign cells through magnetic hypothermia and, thus, curing diseases like cancer.

This new technology -- patented by BIOSEARCH SA -- is still only in an experimental phase but it will facilitate the use of these probiotic bacteria, common in food, to diagnose and treat tumours and as an edible iron supplement.

This research has been financed by IDEA, the regional government of Andalusia's Agency for Innovation and Development. The project has led to the registration of a patent for the technology and its applications and to a first publication in one of the most highly ranked journals in the field of applied materials.


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Granada. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Miguel Martín, Fernando Carmona, Rafael Cuesta, Deyanira Rondón, Natividad Gálvez, José M. Domínguez-Vera. Artificial Magnetic Bacteria: Living Magnets at Room Temperature. Advanced Functional Materials, 2014; DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201303754

Cite This Page:

University of Granada. "Artificial magnetic bacteria 'turn' food into natural drugs." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 May 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140512101419.htm>.
University of Granada. (2014, May 12). Artificial magnetic bacteria 'turn' food into natural drugs. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 14, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140512101419.htm
University of Granada. "Artificial magnetic bacteria 'turn' food into natural drugs." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140512101419.htm (accessed October 14, 2024).

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