#Pivot Bio #Nitrogen Fixation #Agriculture Technology

Groundbreaking Advances in Agricultural Microbiology

Recent peer-reviewed research published in Scientific Reports reveals a groundbreaking technology that could revolutionize nitrogen supply systems in agriculture. This study, conducted by a collaborative team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Purdue University, and sustainable agriculture leader Pivot Bio, sheds light on how genetic modification improves the capability of microbes to fix atmospheric nitrogen, a crucial nutrient for crops like corn.

Using isotopically labeled nitrogen, researchers traced nitrogen from the atmosphere directly to the chlorophyll in corn leaves, demonstrating that genetically modified microbes can indeed fix nitrogen from the air. Field studies have shown that these microbes can effectively deliver nitrogen comparable to up to 40 pounds of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer without compromising crop yield. This innovative approach addresses a long-standing challenge in the agricultural sector—enhancing nitrogen fertilizer efficiency.

Dr. Bruno Basso, an environmental science professor at Michigan State University who was not involved in the study, emphasized the complexity of the soil-plant-atmosphere system, complicating the alignment of nutrient supply with plant demand. Unpredictable weather patterns further complicate nitrogen management, as farmers struggle to determine the precise amounts of nitrogen needed for crops and how much will remain in the soil.

For thousands of years, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) has served as the primary method of nitrogen supply for crops, particularly before the advent of synthetic fertilizers. Diazotrophs, unique bacteria capable of converting nitrogen gas into ammonium, are integral to this natural process. However, exposure to high soil nitrogen concentrations often diminishes these bacteria's ability to perform BNF, as an evolutionary response to conserve energy.

Researchers at Pivot Bio have developed genetically edited microbes using non-transgenic methods to allow diazotrophs to maintain nitrogen fixation capabilities even in nitrogen-rich environments. Dr. Karsten Temme, co-founder and director of innovation at Pivot Bio, explained that through genetic modifications, these microbes are now able to remain