The finding of the amoA gene in archaea populations has raised the prospect of an important role for ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in nitrification in different ecosystems 1,9. The amoA gene encodes ...

It could never be found until recently, in a fish tank a few floors below a university microbiology department: one single organism able to perform the complete process of nitrification.

Human-caused increases in gaseous nitrogen (N) emissions to the atmosphere have accelerated terrestrial ecosystem N deposition over the past half-century. As forest productivity is usually N limited, ...

But different microbes have distinct roles to play, and environmental factors influence activity. Under our feet, in the soil, is a wealth of microbial activity. Just like humans have different ...

The authors have discovered that nitrite-oxidizing organisms can convert cyanate (an oxidation product of cyanide and a decomposition product of urea) into ammonium (the protonated form of ammonia) ...