Magnetosome Compositions, Scale-up, Processing, and Fabrication When Compared to Fe-O Type

Members: Superbrewed Food and Lockheed Martin  

Project dates: 2021 – 2024

Superbrewed Food and Lockheed Martin teamed up to produce and characterize novel magnetic nanoparticles called magnetosomes. Magnetosomes are produced by bacteria as part of intracellular organelles. The biologically derived magnetic nanoparticles are highly consistent in size and shape making them suitable for a wide range of applications including advanced electronics, batteries, and satellite communications. 

In this project, Superbrewed Food established a bacterial strain that produces their native iron oxidec nanoparticles at a high yield. They also demonstrated the ability to incorporate transition metals such as cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) at various concentrations into the magnetosome core in order to modify the properties of the magnetic particles. 

Funding source: U.S. Department of Defense