All nitrogen fixation articles
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NewsNitrogen fixation on marine snow particles is widespread in the world's oceans
Researchers have shown that bacteria attached to marine snow particles can fix N2 over a wide range of temperatures in the global oceans, from the tropics to the poles, and from the surface to the abyss, accounting for about 10% of the overall N2 fixation in oceans.
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NewsGene-edited soil bacteria could provide third source of nitrogen for corn production
If corn was ever jealous of soybean’s relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, advancements in gene editing could one day even the playing field. A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows that gene-edited bacteria can supply the equivalent of 35 pounds of nitrogen from the air during early corn ...
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NewsScientists uncover key step in how diazotrophs ‘fix’ nitrogen
There are only two ways of fixing nitrogen, one industrial and one biological. To better understand a key component of the biological process, researchers took a multi-pronged approach.
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NewsPresence of bacteria in soil makes flowers more attractive to pollinators
Bacteria that live in soil and help roots fix nitrogen can boost certain plants’ capacity to reproduce by enhancing the attractiveness of the plant’s flowers to pollinators via a relationship known as mutualism that is widespread in plants and animals.
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NewsScientists build roadmap to bioengineer plants that produce their own nitrogen fertilizer
Nitrogen fertilizers make it possible to feed the world’s growing population, but they are also costly, harm ecosystems and require a lot of energy to manufacture. However, a few plants have evolved the ability to make their own nitrogen with the help of bacteria. A new study helps explain how ...
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NewsImaging techniques reveal detail of soybean nodule structures for improved nitrogen fixation efficiency
Researchers have used synchrotron-based X-ray microcomputed tomography to non-invasively obtain high-quality 3D images of fresh soybean root nodules, quantifying the volumes of the central infected zone and vascular bundles.
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NewsLong-standing marine mystery solved: How algae get nitrogen to grow
In a new study, scientists have shed light on an unexpected partnership: a marine diatom and a bacterium that can account for a large share of nitrogen fixation in vast regions of the ocean.
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NewsScientists discover genetic ‘off switch’ in legume plants that limits biological ability to source nutrients
The discovery of a new genetic regulator in legumes could be key to understanding how to increase the crop’s capacity to convert nitrogen from the air and improve soil quality.
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NewsStudy reveals key role of plant-bacteria communication in assembly of a healthy plant microbiome
A new study has found that symbiotic, nitrogen-fixing bacteria can ensure dominance among soil microbes due to their signalling-based communication with the legume plant host.
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NewsFrom roots to resilience: investigating the vital role of microbes in coastal plant health
Scientists investigated the relationship between the cordgrass Spartina alterniflora and the microbial communities that inhabit their roots, identifying the bacteria and their roles.
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NewsThe nitroplast revealed: a nitrogen-fixing organelle in a marine alga
A nitrogen-fixing bacterial endosymbiont of marine algae is evolving into a nitrogen-fixing organelle, or nitroplast, thereby expanding a function that was thought to be exclusively carried out by prokaryotic cells to eukaryotes.
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FeaturesNew nitrogen-fixing bacteria for sustainable agriculture
Discover developments in biological nitrogen fixation technology and research, as sustainable agriculture becomes a hot topic.
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NewsRising temperatures alter ‘missing link’ of microbial processes, putting northern peatlands at risk
Study finds that microbial processes in peatlands fall out of sync at higher temperatures, with Sphagnum moss cover plummeting as the mercury rises.