Reaction sequence of iron sulfide minerals in bacteria and their use as biomarkers

Mihály Pósfai; P R Buseck; Dennis A. Bazylinski; Richard B. Frankel

doi:10.1126/science.280.5365.880

Reaction sequence of iron sulfide minerals in bacteria and their use as biomarkers

Mihály Pósfai, P R Buseck, Dennis A. Bazylinski, Richard B. Frankel

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

177 Scopus citations

Abstract

Some bacteria form intracellular nanometer-scale crystals of greigite (Fe₃S₄) that cause the bacteria to be oriented in magnetic fields. Transmission electron microscope observations showed that ferrimagnetic greigite in these bacteria forms from nonmagnetic mackinawite (tetragonal FeS) and possibly from cubic FeS. These precursors apparently transform into greigite by rearrangement of iron atoms over a period of days to weeks. Neither pyrrhotite nor pyrite was found. These results have implications for the interpretation of the presence of pyrrhotite and greigite in the martian meteorite ALI-184001.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	880-883
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	280
Issue number	5365
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.280.5365.880
State	Published - May 8 1998

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title = "Reaction sequence of iron sulfide minerals in bacteria and their use as biomarkers",

abstract = "Some bacteria form intracellular nanometer-scale crystals of greigite (Fe3S4) that cause the bacteria to be oriented in magnetic fields. Transmission electron microscope observations showed that ferrimagnetic greigite in these bacteria forms from nonmagnetic mackinawite (tetragonal FeS) and possibly from cubic FeS. These precursors apparently transform into greigite by rearrangement of iron atoms over a period of days to weeks. Neither pyrrhotite nor pyrite was found. These results have implications for the interpretation of the presence of pyrrhotite and greigite in the martian meteorite ALI-184001.",

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T1 - Reaction sequence of iron sulfide minerals in bacteria and their use as biomarkers

AU - Pósfai, Mihály

AU - Buseck, P R

AU - Bazylinski, Dennis A.

AU - Frankel, Richard B.

PY - 1998/5/8

Y1 - 1998/5/8

N2 - Some bacteria form intracellular nanometer-scale crystals of greigite (Fe3S4) that cause the bacteria to be oriented in magnetic fields. Transmission electron microscope observations showed that ferrimagnetic greigite in these bacteria forms from nonmagnetic mackinawite (tetragonal FeS) and possibly from cubic FeS. These precursors apparently transform into greigite by rearrangement of iron atoms over a period of days to weeks. Neither pyrrhotite nor pyrite was found. These results have implications for the interpretation of the presence of pyrrhotite and greigite in the martian meteorite ALI-184001.

AB - Some bacteria form intracellular nanometer-scale crystals of greigite (Fe3S4) that cause the bacteria to be oriented in magnetic fields. Transmission electron microscope observations showed that ferrimagnetic greigite in these bacteria forms from nonmagnetic mackinawite (tetragonal FeS) and possibly from cubic FeS. These precursors apparently transform into greigite by rearrangement of iron atoms over a period of days to weeks. Neither pyrrhotite nor pyrite was found. These results have implications for the interpretation of the presence of pyrrhotite and greigite in the martian meteorite ALI-184001.

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Reaction sequence of iron sulfide minerals in bacteria and their use as biomarkers

Abstract

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