Bacteria

A protein that is key to the next green revolution sits for its portrait – NolR is a master off-switch for the process that converts bacteria from free living to nitrogen-fixing
Washington University, United States
Scientists are beginning to talk about re-engineering crop plants so that, like legumes, they will have on-site nitrogen-fixing systems, either in root nodules or in the plant cells themselves. To do that, scientists need to understand the biological nitrogen-fixing machinery as thoroughly as a mechanic understands the valves and pistons of a car engine. The difference is that the biological machinery is far too small to be visible to the unaided eye.