Bacterial Magnetic Nanoparticles as Peroxidase Mimetics and Application in Immunoassay

Abstract

Although progress in nanosynthesis has succeeded in making nanoscale particles from iron oxide, the research about natural magnetic nanoparticles, magnetosomes, is still a current interest because of their intrinsic magnetic features, nano‐features, membrane‐enclosed features and genetic control of size and morphology properties. In this study, we investigated magnetosomes’ intrinsic peroxidase‐like activity similar to that found in artificial magnetic nanoparticles. We characterized the catalytic activity by varying the method of extraction and storage, the pH value, the temperature and the H2O2 concentration. Based on these finding, we developed a simplified immunoassay approach to use magnetosomes as a peroxidase mimic catalyst and a magnetic separator as well.