Researchers are one step closer to understanding how some plants survive without nitrogen. Their work could eventually reduce the need for artificial fertilizer in crops such as wheat, maize, or rice.

Modern biology textbooks assert that only bacteria can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that is usable for life. Plants that fix nitrogen, such as legumes, do so by ...

KINGSTON, R.I.—April 3, 2024—Nitrogen is a nutrient essential for all life on Earth. Although nitrogen gas (N 2) is plentiful, it is largely unavailable to most organisms without a process known as ...

So, nitrogen-fixing bacteria have the added task of keeping oxygen away from the enzyme to prevent it from rusting, which requires a lot of work. In one study on a type of cyanobacteria, researchers ...

Researchers have discovered peptide factors that function in the shoot and root systems to transport iron into the root nodules colonized by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Moreover, these peptide factors ...

Bacteria are only the only organisms that are able to 'fix' nitrogen, or remove it from the atmosphere and convert it into a useful form. While some plants seem to fix nitrogen, it is actually ...

Overview of the O₂-protected FeSII-nitrogenase complex cryoEM structure and proposed mechanism for the formation of the complex in the presence of O₂ and its subsequent dissociation once O₂ is removed ...

A tiny protein tweak may unlock nitrogen-fixing super-crops that slash global fertilizer demand. Scientists discovered a small protein region that determines whether plants reject or welcome ...

A new study finds that UCYN-A, a species of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, may be evolving organelle-like characteristics. Nitrogen is a nutrient essential for all life on Earth. Although nitrogen gas ...