Anisotropic magnetic field effect imaging microspectroscopy: a technique to search cells for magnetic compass ability

• Project/Area Number: 17H03005
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Physical chemistry
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Woodward Jonathan 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 教授 (80526054)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥19,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥15,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,500,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥16,510,000 (Direct Cost: ¥12,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,810,000)
• Keywords: 磁気受容 / ラジカル反応 / 磁場効果 / 蛍光顕微鏡 / スピン化学 / 発光分析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project involved the development of a new microscope for observing anisotropic effects of magnetic fields on photochemical reactions in microscopic samples. The target is biological systems (at the cellular level) to provide insights into the way magnetic fields can influence biological processes (with a focus on both the magnetic compass ability of animals and the possible effects of magnetic fields on human health).
The completed microscope was applied in two main areas: 1) the first direct observation of magnetic field effects on native cellular autofluorescence. 2) Development of constrained radical pair systems built from fluorophores of high brightness. These allow for detailed model investigations into anisotropic magnetic field responses for comparison with theoretical predictions and enable investigations of electron spin effects in single radical pairs and the development of biological sensors that exploit magnetic field responses to report on local environments.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

人間を含む全ての動物が、自然環境に存在する弱い磁場の影響を受ける可能性を理解することは、人類にとって重要な問題である。それは、人間と動物の感覚に関する根本的な疑問と、弱い磁場が健康に及ぼす潜在的な影響に直接関係するからである。
本研究では、リアルタイムイメージングにより、磁場が生きているネイティブな状態の細胞に影響を及ぼしているという最初の直接的な証拠を提供している。これは、本研究分野において総論的な理解へ一歩前進させる重要な実験的観測を意味する。
本報告書では、当該分野の研究者に向けて、生体系における磁場感受性光化学プロセスの検出と応用方法の新しいアプローチについて説明している。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Single-molecule spectroscopy of radical pairs, a theoretical treatment and experimental considerations (2018)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya, Egor A. Nasibulov, Konstantin L. Ivanov, Kiminori Maeda & Jonathan R. Woodward
  • Journal Title: Molecular Physics Volume: Online Issue: 19 Pages: 1-14
  • DOI: 10.1080/00268976.2018.1559954
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Microspectroscopy of flavin-based radical pairs (2019)
  • Author(s): Jonathan Woodward
  • Organizer: Spin Chemistry meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Magnetic field effect fluorescence microscopy for in vivo and anisotropic field measurements on flavin based radical pairs (2019)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: Spin Chemistry meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Microscopic studies of spin effects in flavin-based radical pairs (2019)
  • Author(s): Jonathan Woodward
  • Organizer: Annual Meeting on Photochemistry 2019
• [Presentation] Magnetic field effect fluorescence microscopy for in vivo and anisotropic field measurements on flavin based radical pairs (2019)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: Annual Meeting on Photochemistry 2019
• [Presentation] Anisotropic field effects fluorescence microscopy for in vivo measurements (2019)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: International Workshop on Dynamic Spin Effects in Chemistry 2019
• [Presentation] Why study single radical pairs? (2019)
  • Author(s): Jonathan Woodward
  • Organizer: The Society of Electron Spin Science and Technology (SEST) Annual Meeting - Joint NMR / EPR Symposium
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Studying Magnetic Field Effects (MFEs) using fluorescence (2019)
  • Author(s): Jonathan Woodward
  • Organizer: 5th Kanto Area Spin Chemistry Meeting
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Fluorescence microscopy based detection scheme of spin effects on single radical pairs (2018)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: Annual Meeting on Photochemistry 2018
• [Presentation] Magnetosensitive photochemistry of flavins in isotropic and constrained media studied by microspectroscopy. (2018)
  • Author(s): Jonathan Woodward
  • Organizer: Annual Meeting on Photochemistry 2018
• [Presentation] Time resolved microscopy of spin-sensitive radical pair reactions (2018)
  • Author(s): Jonathan Woodward
  • Organizer: Spin Physics, Chemistry and Technology Conference, Russia (SPCT2018)
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Fluorescence microscopy based detection of spin effects on single radical pairs’ (2018)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: Annual Meeting of the Society of Electron Spin Science and Technology
• [Presentation] Microspectroscopy of flavin based radical pairs (2018)
  • Author(s): Jonathan Woodward
  • Organizer: Annual Meeting of the Society of Electron Spin Science and Technology
• [Presentation] Fluorescence microscopy based detection of spin effects on single radical pairs (2018)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: 4th Kanto Spin Chemistry Meeting (KASC-4)
• [Presentation] A single molecule based approach to radical pair mechanism (2017)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: Japan Photochemistry Association Annual Meeting on Photochemistry
• [Presentation] A single molecule based approach to radical pair mechanism (2017)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: 15th International Symposium on Spin and Magnetic Field Effects in Chemistry and Related Phenomena
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] A single molecule based approach to radical pair mechanism (2017)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: The 56th Annual Meetings of the Society of Electron Spin Science and Technology (SEST2017)
• [Presentation] Microspectroscopic studies of flavin-based radical pairs (2017)
  • Author(s): Jonathan Woodward
  • Organizer: 11th Japanese-Russian Workshop on “Open Shell Compounds and Molecular Spin Devices
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] A single molecule based approach to radical pair mechanism (2017)
  • Author(s): Noboru Ikeya
  • Organizer: 3rd Kanto Area Spin Chemistry (KASC) Meeting
  • Invited