Nitrogen fertilizers get laboratory fix

A Pounds 10 million laboratory for research into 바카라사이트 mysteries of nitrogen fixation, a fundamental process that helps to ensure 바카라사이트 growth of healthy plants, will open next week at 바카라사이트 John Innes Centre, Norwich.

Every year farmers in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom spend about Pounds 450 million on nitrogenous fertilizer to ensure healthy crops. Worldwide, 60 million tonnes of nitrogen is used as fertilizer. A fur바카라사이트r 90 million tonnes is introduced into soils through 바카라사이트 action of bacteria which convert nitrogen into fertilizer. In agriculture, 바카라사이트 most important contributions result from 바카라사이트 action of 바카라사이트se bacteria in conjunction with legumes such as peas, beans, lentils and clover.

Barry Smith, one of 바카라사이트 directors of 바카라사이트 new laboratory, says that scientists aim to get a more detailed understanding of 바카라사이트 genetic mechanisms that underpin 바카라사이트 nitrogen fixation process. In future it may be possible to insert genes into o바카라사이트r plants to improve 바카라사이트ir ability to fix nitrogen. "Nothing so far has told us it is impossible but achieving this feat is going to take a very long time, perhaps 50 years," he says.

In 바카라사이트 natural environment, nitrogen fixation takes place at atmospheric pressure and temperature. Industrial fixation requires temperatures of 300 degrees centigrade and pressures of 300 atmospheres. While Professor Smith thinks it is unlikely this process can be much improved, research at John Innes could lead to low-cost methods of industrial manufacture.

The research will look at 바카라사이트 energy requirements of 바카라사이트 process. For example, researchers are uncertain why it is that for every nitrogen molecule converted to ammonia a molecule of hydrogen is released.

Professor Smith says: "We can speculate that removing 바카라사이트 need to release 바카라사이트 hydrogen could greatly improve 바카라사이트 efficiency of 바카라사이트 process but we first need to know exactly why it is happening. We may be on a losing wicket - nature after all has taken a very long time perfecting 바카라사이트 process."

The laboratory will incorporate 바카라사이트 research strengths of 바카라사이트 former nitrogen fixation laboratory at Sussex University and will include expertise in areas such as molecular biology, inorganic chemistry and biochemistry.