Chemical compass behaviour at microtesla magnetic fields strengthens the radical pair hypothesis of avian magnetoreception

Christian Kerpal; Sabine Richert; Jonathan G. Storey; Smitha Pillai; Paul A. Liddell; Devens Gust; Stuart R. Mackenzie; P. J. Hore; Christiane R. Timmel

doi:10.1038/s41467-019-11655-2

Chemical compass behaviour at microtesla magnetic fields strengthens the radical pair hypothesis of avian magnetoreception

Christian Kerpal, Sabine Richert, Jonathan G. Storey, Smitha Pillai, Paul A. Liddell, Devens Gust, Stuart R. Mackenzie, P. J. Hore, Christiane R. Timmel

Arizona State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The fact that many animals, including migratory birds, use the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation and compass-navigation is fascinating and puzzling in equal measure. The physical origin of these phenomena has not yet been fully understood, but arguably the most likely hypothesis is based on the radical pair mechanism (RPM). Whilst the theoretical framework of the RPM is well-established, most experimental investigations have been conducted at fields several orders of magnitude stronger than the Earth’s. Here we use transient absorption spectroscopy to demonstrate a pronounced orientation-dependence of the magnetic field response of a molecular triad system in the field region relevant to avian magnetoreception. The chemical compass response exhibits the properties of an inclination compass as found in migratory birds. The results underline the feasibility of a radical pair based avian compass and also provide further guidelines for the design and operation of exploitable chemical compass systems.

Original language	English
Article number	3707
Journal	Nature communications
Volume	10
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11655-2
Publication status	Published - Dec 1 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Chemistry(all)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
Physics and Astronomy(all)

Access to Document

10.1038/s41467-019-11655-2

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Chemical compass behaviour at microtesla magnetic fields strengthens the radical pair hypothesis of avian magnetoreception'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this

Chemical compass behaviour at microtesla magnetic fields strengthens the radical pair hypothesis of avian magnetoreception. / Kerpal, Christian; Richert, Sabine; Storey, Jonathan G.; Pillai, Smitha; Liddell, Paul A.; Gust, Devens; Mackenzie, Stuart R.; Hore, P. J.; Timmel, Christiane R.

In: Nature communications, Vol. 10, No. 1, 3707, 01.12.2019.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

@article{28466d8261d74e3ab0d688e1a39ee75c,

title = "Chemical compass behaviour at microtesla magnetic fields strengthens the radical pair hypothesis of avian magnetoreception",

abstract = "The fact that many animals, including migratory birds, use the Earth{\textquoteright}s magnetic field for orientation and compass-navigation is fascinating and puzzling in equal measure. The physical origin of these phenomena has not yet been fully understood, but arguably the most likely hypothesis is based on the radical pair mechanism (RPM). Whilst the theoretical framework of the RPM is well-established, most experimental investigations have been conducted at fields several orders of magnitude stronger than the Earth{\textquoteright}s. Here we use transient absorption spectroscopy to demonstrate a pronounced orientation-dependence of the magnetic field response of a molecular triad system in the field region relevant to avian magnetoreception. The chemical compass response exhibits the properties of an inclination compass as found in migratory birds. The results underline the feasibility of a radical pair based avian compass and also provide further guidelines for the design and operation of exploitable chemical compass systems.",

author = "Christian Kerpal and Sabine Richert and Storey, {Jonathan G.} and Smitha Pillai and Liddell, {Paul A.} and Devens Gust and Mackenzie, {Stuart R.} and Hore, {P. J.} and Timmel, {Christiane R.}",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank D.E. Manolopoulos and T. Player for helpful discussions. C.K. is grateful for a DFG Research Fellowship (Project No. 256837888). The authors would like to thank the EPSRC (EPL011972/1), DARPA (QuBE: N66001-10-1-4061) and the US Air Force (USAF) Office of Scientific Research (Air Force Materiel Command, USAF Award No. FA9550-14-1-0095) for financial support.",

year = "2019",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-019-11655-2",

language = "English",

volume = "10",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Chemical compass behaviour at microtesla magnetic fields strengthens the radical pair hypothesis of avian magnetoreception

AU - Kerpal, Christian

AU - Richert, Sabine

AU - Storey, Jonathan G.

AU - Pillai, Smitha

AU - Liddell, Paul A.

AU - Gust, Devens

AU - Mackenzie, Stuart R.

AU - Hore, P. J.

AU - Timmel, Christiane R.

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank D.E. Manolopoulos and T. Player for helpful discussions. C.K. is grateful for a DFG Research Fellowship (Project No. 256837888). The authors would like to thank the EPSRC (EPL011972/1), DARPA (QuBE: N66001-10-1-4061) and the US Air Force (USAF) Office of Scientific Research (Air Force Materiel Command, USAF Award No. FA9550-14-1-0095) for financial support.

PY - 2019/12/1

Y1 - 2019/12/1

N2 - The fact that many animals, including migratory birds, use the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation and compass-navigation is fascinating and puzzling in equal measure. The physical origin of these phenomena has not yet been fully understood, but arguably the most likely hypothesis is based on the radical pair mechanism (RPM). Whilst the theoretical framework of the RPM is well-established, most experimental investigations have been conducted at fields several orders of magnitude stronger than the Earth’s. Here we use transient absorption spectroscopy to demonstrate a pronounced orientation-dependence of the magnetic field response of a molecular triad system in the field region relevant to avian magnetoreception. The chemical compass response exhibits the properties of an inclination compass as found in migratory birds. The results underline the feasibility of a radical pair based avian compass and also provide further guidelines for the design and operation of exploitable chemical compass systems.

AB - The fact that many animals, including migratory birds, use the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation and compass-navigation is fascinating and puzzling in equal measure. The physical origin of these phenomena has not yet been fully understood, but arguably the most likely hypothesis is based on the radical pair mechanism (RPM). Whilst the theoretical framework of the RPM is well-established, most experimental investigations have been conducted at fields several orders of magnitude stronger than the Earth’s. Here we use transient absorption spectroscopy to demonstrate a pronounced orientation-dependence of the magnetic field response of a molecular triad system in the field region relevant to avian magnetoreception. The chemical compass response exhibits the properties of an inclination compass as found in migratory birds. The results underline the feasibility of a radical pair based avian compass and also provide further guidelines for the design and operation of exploitable chemical compass systems.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070842120&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85070842120&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-019-11655-2

DO - 10.1038/s41467-019-11655-2

M3 - Article

C2 - 31420558

AN - SCOPUS:85070842120

VL - 10

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

SN - 2041-1723

IS - 1

M1 - 3707

ER -