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Which is a better technique for studying the structure
of the magnetosomes inside magnetotactic bacteria--
NMR or X-ray Diffraction?

The magnetosomes contain the ferrite Magnetite. Is NMR
the best magnetic resonance technique for studying
the structure of magnetosomes, or does the large
magnetic moment of Magnetite mean Ferromagnetic
Resonance would be preferable?

X-ray Diffraction has been used successfully for
studying the structure of crystals. Magnetite is
crystalline. Would this technique give greater detail
than the magnetic resonance method(s)?

The structure of the magnetosomes is important because
it defines how magnetotactic bacteria become oriented
with a laboratory magnetic field. What is interesting
is the possibility that the bacteria might respirate
less if they could get a source of heat from a radio
source that mathches the frequency of the precession
of the moment about the magnetic field direction.

Far more speculative is the possibility that magnetic
resonance could result in a lower metabolic rate in
humans. Perhaps the metabolic rate and human respiration
are related and lowering this rate would mean a slower
cellular reproduction rate overall. The slower the
cellular reproduction rate, the longer a person would
live. No fountain of youth here. Just the prospect of
some small amount of life extension.

In General Relativity the possibility of time dilation
permits a sort of youthfulness in relation to the
people back on earth. What I am thinking of is
something that occurs biologically on earth that is
frame independent.

Larry Adams
laradex3@sj.znet.com