Abstract Aim and purpose The present work explores the isolated Magnetotactic bacteria and their magnetic nanoparticles for their biomedical application potential based on their magnetic properties. Findings MTB isolates were obtained from soils of dy lakebeds and different mineral rich mountains of Southern Karnataka, India and best two isolates were characterized by 16 S rDNA sequencing as Klebsiella species AK01 and Priestia species AK02 (NCBI GenBank (PP886460.1 and PP869085.1 respectively). The magnetosomes as nanoparticle packets were isolated and characterized by XRD, Sem-EDAX and FTIR analysis which confirmed complex of Fe and related metal magnetic materials in the system. The nanoparticles were functionalized by glutaraldehyde fixation of commercially available fungal alpha amylase and activity analysis procedures. The immobilization of enzymes was confirmed by FTIR stretches. Using 3D printer, Microfluidic cell mould was prepared which was used further for preparing basic microfluidic system consisting of 3% agarose and starch respectively. The magnetic actuation of microbial flow in the channels was recorded and images were taken. Conclusion The isolated MTB and magnetosome nanoparticles were characterized and latter were functionalized with enzyme and evaluated for actuation and external controls for potential biomedical applications. The potential application of MTB and their nanoparticles has immense potential in various microrobotic vistas of biotechnology and biomedicine. The present work enhances this repertoire of microbial application in bacteria hitherto not reported before.
Narayan et al. (Fri,) studied this question.