{
  "abstract": "We demonstrate that endogenous autofluorescent molecules in Escherichia coli exhibit fluorescence changes exceeding 10% in response to a 25 mT magnetic field under specific physiological and excitation conditions. Fluorescence spectral analysis strongly supports a flavin origin of the magnetically sensitive signal, with a slight blue shift relative to free flavin suggesting a protein-associated population. The analysis further suggests that this magnetic response originates from a flavin-related component contributing only part of the total cellular autofluorescence. This implies that the magnetic field effect exceeding 10% observed in total cellular autofluorescence represents an ensemble-averaged response, and that the intrinsic magnetic field effect within the magnetically sensitive flavin population may be substantially larger. Notably, the magnetic field effect is strongly suppressed by carbon-source supplementation. These findings indicate that the manifestation of the magnetic field effect is associated with the cellular physiological or metabolic state. The field-induced negative fluorescence response and the saturation of the magnetic-field dependence support the radical-pair mechanism and are consistent with a triplet-born radical-pair reaction. This work provides a framework for identifying endogenous biomolecular candidates exhibiting large intracellular magnetic field effects and suggests a new route toward label-free readout of cellular metabolic states based on flavin magnetosensitivity.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "The University of Tokyo"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "N. Ikeya"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Omi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "J. R. Woodward"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4539ndzfzghrd.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.23.761314",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.23.761314v1.full",
  "id": "4539ndzfzghrd",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.23.761314v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "biophysics"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1304|Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223995952",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.23.761314v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4539ndzfzghrd.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:29:47Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.23.761314",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.23.761314v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "biorxiv:biophysics",
      "subfield": "biophysics"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Metabolic-State-Dependent Magnetic Field Effects on Endogenous Flavin Autofluorescence in Escherichia coli",
  "title_text": "Metabolic-State-Dependent Magnetic Field Effects on Endogenous Flavin Autofluorescence in Escherichia coli",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:29:47Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4539ndzfzghrd",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}