地磁环境对生物影响及其机理研究

The Earth is the only planet in the Universe that harbors both life and geomagnetic field. The Earth's magnetic field is essential to the evolution of the biosphere, because it not only protects earth life from the harmful comic rays, but also serves as an orientation cue for organisms during their long-distance migrating or homing. The proposed project will focus on three magnetically sensitive model organisms, i.e. migratory bats, homing pigeons and magnetotactic bacteria. Comprehensive laboratory experiments, including rock magnetic measurements, molecular approaches and electron microscopy, and field works will be applied to investigate the effects of magnetic field on the magnetoreception behaviors of bats and homing pigeons, phylogenetic diversity and magnetite biomineralization of magnetotactic bacteria. This project will enable better understanding of the mechanism of magnetoreception and biodiversity, thus help to elucidate the linkage between biosphere and geomagnetic field. Outcomes of this project will shed lights on the evolution of life involving geomagnetic reversals. Moreover, this project will increase knowledge of the novel and evolving interdisciplinary Biogeomagnetism.

地球是目前太阳系中唯一一个既具有全球磁场又有生命的行星，地球生物起源、发展和演化都在地磁环境中进行，因此，认识地磁环境变化对生物的影响是地球环境演化与生命过程领域的重要前沿课题。本项目选择哺乳类动物蝙蝠、鸟类信鸽和模式微生物趋磁细菌作为研究对象，通过模拟实验和野外观测相结合，从行为学到分子机制层面，系统研究极端磁场条件对生物的影响及作用机理。发挥生物地磁学交叉研究的优势，重点解析地磁环境的生物效应，包括动物感磁受体工作模型，趋磁细菌与地磁场的关系等，为探讨地磁场过去和未来变化（包括地磁极性倒转等）在生物进化中的作用提供重要依据。研究地磁环境变化对生物的影响，将为全面认识整体地球环境演化与生命过程的联系开辟新途径，具有十分重要的地球系统科学理论意义。

认识地磁环境变化对生物的影响是地球环境演化与生命过程领域的前沿研究课题。本项目选择哺乳类动物蝙蝠和模式微生物作为对象，研究极端磁场条件对代表性生物的影响，为探讨地磁场变化在生物进化中的作用提供依据。项目通过模拟实验揭示出迁徙型蝙蝠i能感知强度仅为正常值1/5的弱磁场；趋磁细菌磁小体能记录地磁场信息。