Nitrogen is a nutrient essential for all life on Earth. Although nitrogen gas (N2) is plentiful, it is largely unavailable to most organisms without a process known as nitrogen fixation, which converts dinitrogen to ammonium—a ...
Evolution
Apr 3, 2024
0
319
The humble peat bog conjures images of a brown, soggy expanse. But it turns out to have a superpower in the fight against climate change.
Ecology
Mar 18, 2024
0
37
Legume plants have the unique ability to interact with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil, known as rhizobia. Legumes and rhizobia engage in symbiotic relations upon nitrogen starvation, allowing the plant to thrive without ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Feb 12, 2024
0
200
Cambridge scientists have identified two crucial genetic factors needed to produce specialized root organs that can accommodate nitrogen-fixing bacteria in legumes such as peas and beans.
Molecular & Computational biology
Feb 1, 2024
0
23
Plants often develop communities with microorganisms in their roots, which influences plant health and development. Although the recruitment of these microbes is dictated by several factors, it is unclear whether the genetic ...
Ecology
Dec 19, 2023
0
205
Production of chemical fertilizers accounts for about 1.5% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. MIT chemists hope to help reduce that carbon footprint by replacing some chemical fertilizer with a more sustainable source—bacteria.
Biotechnology
Nov 15, 2023
0
52
Plants are among the most intrepid explorers on Earth. Roughly 460 million years ago, the first plants started leaving lakes and rivers and appeared on land. At that time, the surface of Earth was mostly bare rock.
Biotechnology
Oct 6, 2023
0
42
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth, but the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture is not sustainable.
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 26, 2023
0
92
A recent study has found that soil is home to 59% of all life on Earth, from an insect feeding on the soil surface to a tiny microbe nestled in a soil pore. This discovery crowns soil as the most biodiverse habitat on the ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 17, 2023
0
27
There's a complex world beneath our feet, teeming with diverse and interdependent life. Plants call out with chemical signals in times of stress, summoning microbes that can unlock bound nutrients and find water in soil pores ...
Ecology
Jul 25, 2023
0
50
