FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Oct. 8 -- The University of Arkansas issued the following news release:
Nitrogen is essential for life. It's needed to build proteins, DNA and many other components of cells. Although nitrogen gas makes up almost 80 percent of the earth's atmosphere, most organisms cannot use it directly. Certain microbes solve this problem through a process called nitrogen fixation, which converts nitrogen gas into ammonia. This process is carried out by an enzyme called nitrogenase.
Understanding how this enzyme functions could have huge implications for the more efficient and biologically-based production of ammonia, a crucial component of common fertilizers.
A collaborative research team from across the U.S., initiated by a resear...