Quantum effects in magnetoreception

Sustained Quantum Coherence and Entanglement in the Avian Compass.
Erik M. Gauger, Elisabeth Rieper, John J. L. Morton, Simon C. Benjamin, and Vlatko Vedral
Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 040503 (2011)

According to the RP model, the back of the bird’s eye contains numerous molecules for magnetoreception. These molecules give rise to a pattern, discernible to the bird, which indicates the orientation of the field.

Magnets tackle kinetic questions

Biosensors: Magnets tackle kinetic questions.
Shawn P. Mulvaney
Nature Nanotechnology 6, 266 (2011)

Quantification of protein interactions and solution transport using high-density GMR sensor arrays
Richard S. Gaster, Liang Xu, Shu-Jen Han , Robert J. Wilson , Drew A. Hall , Sebastian J. Osterfeld , Heng Yu ,and Shan X. Wang
Nature Nanotechnology 6, 314 (2011)

GMR sensors can also be used to detect biomolecules that have been labelled with magnetic beads (left). Here one of the four antibodies (blue) attached to a magnetic bead (red) binds to a protein antigen (yellow) immobilized on top of a GMR sensor in a proteomic microarray. The change in the resistance of the GMR wire caused by the magnetic field of the bead allows the kinetics of the protein–antibody interaction to be studied.