Protein Compass Might Explain How Animals Detect Magnetic Fields
8th September 2016
How do birds migrate thousands of miles, and how does a burrowing mole rat know which way is up? The answer lies in the animals’ ability to detect magnetic fields–an idea that was long controversial but is now well established. But so far the mechanism that gives animals (and possibly humans) this capability isn’t well understood. Some researchers have suspected that certain types of chemicals might be involved, but they weren’t sure which ones or how to find them.
Now, a team of Chinese researchers has discovered a protein complex—a “chemical compass,” as the scientists call it—that lines up with magnetic fields, according to a study published today in Nature Materials. The complex might hold the key to animals’ magnetic-sensing power.