Karim Benzerara

Chiral by Nature: Chiroptical Activity in Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles from Bacterial Biomineralization

Abstract The coexistence of chirality and magnetism in nanomaterials has been observed with metallic complexes but remains rarely achieved in magnetic oxides. Here, we identify biologically induced chiroptical activity in the magnetotactic bacterium Magnetospirillum gryphiswalden...

Vulnerable microbial communities in Atacama-Altiplano wetlands: modern analogs of ancient ecosystems with implications for sustainability and conservation

Abstract The Altiplano-Puna plateau lies at ∼4,000 m above sea level in the volcanic Andes cordillera. Together with the adjacent Atacama Desert, it forms one of the most hyperarid regions on the planet. Wetlands are rare, influenced by hydrothermalism and, due to high evaporatio...