# Magnetic Bacteria Extend Worm Lifespan by 43%, Chinese Study Finds

*2026-09-25 18:01 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> A magnetic bacterium extended C. elegans worm lifespan by over 43% by suppressing iron-driven cell death, Chinese researchers report.

Researchers at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found that feeding C. elegans worms a magnetotactic bacterium called Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 extended their average lifespan by 43.39% while preserving neurological function and intestinal integrity into old age.

Led by Prof. An Xu, the team traced the effect to suppression of ferroptosis, a form of cell death driven by iron buildup and oxidative damage to fats within cells. AMB-1 lowered iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation in the worms, and three genes -- ftn-1, bli-3, and ads-1 -- were identified as key to the pathway.

The bacterium's ability to produce magnetosomes, internal magnetic particles, proved essential: wild-type AMB-1 delivered a much stronger longevity boost than non-magnetotactic strains, suggesting the magnetic properties themselves, not just the microbe, drive the anti-aging effect. The study was published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

## Sources

- [sciencedaily.com](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260924020357.htm)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/2438-magnetic-bacteria-extend-worm-lifespan-by-43-chinese-study-finds
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2511-magneticke-bakterie-prodlouzily-cervum-zivot-o-43-zjistila-cinska-studie