Phosphorus is a multivalent nonmetal element (atomic number 15) that plays a central role in chemistry, biochemistry, and environmental science as a core component of phosphate (PO₄³⁻) groups. In molecular systems, it forms P–O, P–N, and P–C bonds and underlies the structure and energetics of nucleotides, nucleic acids, and phosphorylated metabolites via high-energy phosphoanhydride and phosphoester linkages. In materials and catalysis research, phosphorus appears in organophosphorus compounds, phosphines, and metal phosphides, influencing electronic structure, coordination behavior, and reactivity. In geochemistry and ecology, phosphorus cycling governs primary productivity and nutrient limitation in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
A greater focus on roots during plant breeding could ensure staple grain crops continue to feed the world as recycled nutrients substitute conventional fertilizers in the future, a University of Queensland study published ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 17, 2026
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The Environment Agency and the University of Stirling have published a new report on the links between phosphorus concentrations and ecology in English rivers. Phosphorus remains one of the most significant pollutants in ...
Ecology
Mar 7, 2026
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Liverwort uses hair-like rhizoids to collect phosphorus from its surroundings and deliver it to where it is needed. This Kobe University discovery sheds light on the evolution of one of the most essential features of land ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 25, 2026
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Phosphorus is essential for plant growth and ecosystem productivity. In many natural forests, plants rely on soil microbes to release bioavailable phosphorus from organic matter. The PhoD gene, which encodes the key enzyme ...
Ecology
Feb 11, 2026
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A decade-long study has revealed that rising atmospheric CO₂ and warming work together to reduce the availability of phosphorus in rice-upland crop rotation systems, potentially threatening future food security. The research, ...
Agriculture
Feb 11, 2026
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A research team led by Prof. Wang Kelin from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has uncovered microbial mechanisms that restrict phosphorus (P) cycling in farmland soils, revealing ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 9, 2026
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Phosphorus is crucial for crop growth. But too little can lower crop yields, and too much can lead to pollution downstream. Studies show that some soils are losing phosphorus, while others are accumulating and leaking into ...
Ecology
Jan 26, 2026
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Phosphorus, a key ingredient in fertilizers, is running out. The world's food systems depend on phosphorus mined from limited reserves, yet much of what is applied to fields washes away, leaving soils increasingly depleted. ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Nov 14, 2025
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For the first time, a team at BESSY II has succeeded in demonstrating the one-dimensional electronic properties of a material through a highly refined experimental process.
Nanophysics
Oct 21, 2025
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A new study has revealed how phosphorus, a nutrient essential for photosynthesis, surged into ancient oceans and started Earth's first major rise in atmospheric oxygen more than 2 billion years ago.
Astrobiology
Oct 20, 2025
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