In a study using fruit flies, scientists found that shielding them from Earth’s magnetic field affects mitochondrial function, lifespan and physical activity — with the effects varying dramatically depending on the condition of the mitochondria. The findings, published in the journal Aging, offer a new perspective on how this invisible environmental force may influence fundamental biological processes, potentially changing our understanding of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. The study was conducted by Professor Lisa Chakrabarti and Jacob Reed of the University of Nottingham.
Professor Chakrabarti said: “We live our entire lives within Earth’s magnetic field. It passes through our bodies, cells and every living organism on the planet, yet we know surprisingly little about whether this invisible force affects how our cells function and, if so, how. Our findings suggest that Earth’s magnetic field is part of the biological environment to which life has adapted over the course of evolution,” Nauchnaya Rossiya reports. “Understanding how cells sense and respond to magnetic fields could open up new ways of modulating mitochondria in aging and disease.”
The research team studied what happens when Earth’s magnetic field is almost completely removed. Using a specially designed magnetic shielding system, the scientists reduced the magnetic field around fruit flies to nearly zero. They compared healthy flies with individuals carrying a defect in Pink1, a gene associated with inherited early-onset Parkinson’s disease in humans.
The results were striking. Isolating Pink1 flies from Earth’s magnetic field increased their lifespan by 20%, although their physical activity decreased. Healthy flies responded quite differently: their lifespan did not change, but their mobility improved.
The researchers linked these effects to mitochondria — tiny structures inside cells that produce most of the energy needed for life. When the magnetic field was weakened, mitochondrial energy metabolism changed, as did levels of superoxide, a highly reactive molecule produced by mitochondria. The team detected these changes using high-resolution measurements of mitochondrial respiration and highly sensitive quantum sensors.
The experiments show that the magnetic environment surrounding an organism may affect fundamental biological processes, including energy production, physical activity and lifespan.
Importantly, the effect was not simply “good” or “bad.” The same change in the magnetic environment produced completely different outcomes depending on the condition of the mitochondria. This suggests that an organism’s metabolic state determines how it responds to changes in magnetic field strength.
PhD student Jacob Reed added: “There are few studies in this area, and they have mainly focused on how migratory animals sense magnetic fields or on preparing humans for space travel. Yet we still know very little about why all living organisms need a magnetic field to function normally. In this project, specialists in physics, engineering and biology studied fruit flies using new, highly specialized methods and equipment to investigate not only physiology but also pathology. This opens up new possibilities for non-invasive ways of influencing mitochondria, something that has been sorely lacking in the treatment of disease. Hopefully, the study will highlight the fundamental role of magnetic fields in sustaining life beyond scientific niches.”
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