[citation needed] Probably the most peculiar characteristic of Magnetospirillum species is their capacity to orient themselves according to Earth's magnetic field, magnetotaxis.

Because the magnetosomes in Magnetospirillum are arranged in chains, the bacteria are able to move with magnetic fields to find a favorable growth environment.

[3] Due to the presence of magnetotaxis and magnetosomes within Magnetospirillum, some species have been studied in how they may be beneficial for use in a wide range of different fields such as those with medicinal and engineering practices.

[10] One example is the recent research about how their magnetic properties could potentially introduce a new way of treating wastewater contaminated with heavy metals or be used for tumor hyperthermia due to their coupling abilities.

[11][12] However, it is a challenge to begin to test and apply their unique abilities because of the difficulty with growing large amounts of Magnetospirillum cells and magnetosomes – this could be due to most species being microaerophilic and having specific O2 concentration requirements.