Magnetic studies of magnetotactic bacteria by soft x-ray STXM and ptychography

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) biomineralize chains of nanoscale magnetite single crystals which align the cell with the earth’s magnetic field and assist the cell to migrate to, and maintain its position at, the oxic-anoxic transition zone, their preferred habitat. Here we describe use of multi-edge scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) to investigate the chemistry and magnetism of MTB on an individual cell basis. We report measurements …