Although you may have never heard of them, magnetotactic bacteria are everywhere. These tiny organisms have harnessed the power of magnetism to align with the Earth’s magnetic field and navigate their aquatic habitats, making them nature’s smallest seafarers.

Join us for a journey at the crossroads between physics and biology, into the inner workings of these tiny biological compasses and their relationship to magnetic navigation in higher organisms, sea ecosystems, the geological history of the earth or the possibility of life on Mars. We will delve into the promising applications of their magnetic properties, spanning fields from medicine to nanotechnology.

Dr. Fradin is an experimental biophysicist and a professor at McMaster University, holding a joint appointment in the departments of Physics & Astronomy and Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences. With her research team, she specializes in investigating the intricate dynamics of living cells using advanced quantitative fluorescence microscopy techniques. Dr. Fradin’s contributions to the field have garnered recognition, including a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Molecular Biophysics and a Polanyi Prize in Physiology and Medicine. She is involved with the Canadian scientific community beyond her research, notably serving as an executive officer for the Biophysical Society of Canada.