New discovery sheds light on magnetic sensing in birds

Humans are just in a position to use five senses to perceive the planet around us. In the pet world, most are also in a position to sense the magnetic field of the planet earth. Researchers have reported new findings on magnetic sensing in birds and recently presented their research. Scientists at the University of Oldenburg in Germany and Oxford in the united kingdom have already been gathering evidence that suggests the magnetic sensing of migratory birds like European robins is dependant on a particular light-sensitive protein in the attention.

Within their research, the team demonstrated a protein called cryptochrome 4 within the bird’s retina is sensitive to magnetic fields and may function as magnetic sensor that scientists have already been looking for. Researchers on the project extracted the genetic code for cryptochrome 4 within night-migratory European robins and managed for the very first time to create the photoactive molecule in large quantities using bacterial cell cultures.

Another team of researchers used a variety of magnetic resonance and optical spectroscopy ways to study the protein and demonstrate its sensitivity to magnetic fields. Researchers on the project may also discern the mechanism that provides rise to the sensitivity, that is reported to be another important advance. Electrons in a position to move within the molecule after blue-light activation play a crucial role.

Proteins, like cryptochrome, have chains of proteins and robin cryptochrome 4 has 527 of these. Researchers in the project discovered that four of these 527 amino acids referred to as tryptophans are crucial for the magnetic properties of the molecule. Calculations showed that electrons jump in one tryptophan to another, generating something called radical pairs which are magnetically sensitive. Experiments showed that the generated radical pairs are crucial to describe the observed magnetic field effects.

The team believes the outcomes they found are essential since they show for the very first time molecule from the visual apparatus of a migratory bird is sensitive to magnetic fields. However, the team is clear they have not found definitive proof that cryptochrome 4 may be the magnetic sensor the team wants.