Nitrogen is a diatomic, relatively inert gas (N₂) constituting the major component of Earth’s atmosphere and a central element in biogeochemical and ecological research topics. Scientifically, it underpins studies of the global nitrogen cycle, including biological nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, and anthropogenic perturbations from fertilizer use and industrial emissions. Research on nitrogen addresses its speciation (e.g., nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, organic N), transformation pathways, and fluxes across atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic reservoirs, as well as its roles in limiting primary productivity, driving eutrophication, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions (notably N₂O), and linking to climate–carbon feedbacks and ecosystem functioning.
Nitrogen is one of life's building blocks, but it's only helpful in the right amounts. Too much nitrogen in water, for example, can lead to poor water quality and the gradual death of aquatic organisms. Microbes remove nitrogen ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 9, 2026
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Graphene is flat. But that doesn't mean other 2D materials—particularly those containing more than one element—necessarily share the same structure. In the past, researchers have often simplified these materials by modeling ...
Nanomaterials
Sep 4, 2026
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When was the last time you bought a loaf of bread?
Agriculture
Aug 20, 2026
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A new study led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) provides evidence that liquid nitrogen is rising to Pluto's surface through cracks at the northern edge of Sputnik Planitia, part of the massive heart-shaped glacier ...
Planetary Sciences
Aug 6, 2026
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New York University researchers have pinpointed the molecular players responsible for plants "feeling full" once they've taken up enough nitrogen—a finding that could help scientists develop plants that absorb more nitrogen ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Aug 2, 2026
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Nitrate contamination of drinking water poses a major health concern, particularly in agricultural communities where fertilizers, livestock manure and septic systems can leach nitrates into groundwater. Many rural households ...
Environment
Jul 24, 2026
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A new Aotearoa New Zealand study has found that nitrate concentrations in drinking water are associated with an increased risk of preterm birth, even at levels well below the current drinking water standard. The study, published ...
Environment
Jul 14, 2026
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A new collaborative study from The University of Western Australia has found that partially replacing synthetic nitrogen fertilizer with low amounts of organic components can improve soil quality, crop productivity and nitrogen ...
Ecology
Apr 30, 2026
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Ammonia has been feeding the world for decades as a fertilizer and is now rapidly emerging as a carbon-free fuel for shipping and industry. But if we focus only on CO₂ emissions, we risk creating new nitrogen problems, warns ...
Environment
Apr 26, 2026
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142
Nitrogen (N) fertilizer supports global agriculture, but its use and overuse drive emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent and long-lived trace gas. Incomplete understanding of N2O flux drivers makes it difficult to make ...
Environment
Apr 18, 2026
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