Ammonia Fed Bacteria

1999/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biologia

A group of Austrian and Dutch biologists from Delf University in the Netherlands have discovered the bacteria that use ammonia as a source of energy.

Researchers have long sought because nitrous acid oxidation of ammonia is a very energetic reaction, and an ancient principle biology ensures that a source of energy will not be lost in nature. The size of this new bacterium in the order of planktomicetos that have been called anammox does not reach the micrometer. In a medium rich in nitrous acid, ammonia is absorbed and the aforementioned reaction is carried out within the bacteria. This discovery can have technological applications as ammonia from fertilizers for agriculture is an important source of contamination. The study of the digestive system of this bacteria will help us to know better the process of oxidation of ammonia.

In this way, we could transform soil ammonia into nitrogen and eliminate pollution.