Isolation of microbes possessing magnetosomes and their potential role in drug delivery

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are also known as magnetic bacteria. They were discovered by the scientist Salvatore Bellini in 1965. These bacteria can produce nano sized bacterial magnetic particles under normal temperature and pressure. Bacterial magnetic particles are ultrafine magnetic particles having the diameter of 50- 100 nm. They are produced by a genus of bacteria called Magnetospirillum magneticum. These magnetic structures act as compass needle permitting the bacteria to migrate through redox potential with Earth’s magnetic field. Therefore, they are called polyphyletic group of bacteria. Although this unique group of micro-organisms were discovered several decades ago, the mechanism and medical application of the magnetic particles have not been clarified yet. Currently, it has been claimed that these bacteria have been widely used in biochemistry, microbiology, mineralogy, limnology, biophysics and geology. But, there is a need to unravel the world of these magnificent organisms to learn about the mechanism of magnetism therapy in medical field. The present review article gives an insight on the application of magnetosomes in modern biological and medical sciences.