Magnetotactic bacteria from Lonar lake

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are motile, aquatic prokaryotes that swim along geomagnetic field lines. These bacteria display a myriad of cellular morphologies, including coccoid, rod, vibrioid, spirilloid etc. with their unique 'magnetosomes' within the cells. The Lonar lake in Maharashtra, formed due to a meteorite impact crater, is a closed basin lake characterized by high alkalinity and salinity. The MTB isolated by the 'magnetic collection' and 'capillary racetrack' methods showed a typical response in the form of movement towards the magnet and precise alignment at the edge of the hanging drop. Intracellular iron accumulation studies on these bacteria showed up to 11.5 times more iron than non-magnetic bacteria.