Fungi under the magnet: A novel magnetic field platform and discoveries in yeast magnetobiology - Daniel Charlebois

Electromagnetic fields are known to affect living matter. However, the magnetobiology of microorganisms largely remains to be elucidated, especially for fungi. To address this knowledge gap, we used AutoCAD, COMSOL Multiphysics, and 3D printing to develop a device to expose microbial populations to static magnetic fields. We found that magnetic fields can slow the spatially structured expansion of biofilm-like budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on semi-solid media. We also found that magnetic fields do not affect the growth of yeast cells in well-mixed liquid media. This research is innovating adaptable, open-source devices to perform electromagnetic experiments on microbes and is advancing our understanding of the effects of electromagnetic fields on fungi.