Ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOM) use ammonia for energy and account for the annual oxidation of approximately 2.3 trillion kilograms of nitrogen in soil, freshwater, the subsurface and man-made ecosystems.
But one major question that has remained unanswered for decades is how different AOM species coexist in the same environment: do they compete for ammonia or instead use other alternative compounds for their energy needs?
New research by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the University of Oklahoma and other collaborators found an answer that significantly changes the understanding of ammonia oxidation, a critical component of the global nitrogen cycle. The research appears in Nature Microbiology.
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