Researchers Reveal How Microbes Cope in Phosphorus-Deficient Tropical Soil (IMAGE)

DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Researchers Reveal How Microbes Cope in Phosphorus-Deficient Tropical Soil

Caption

An Oak Ridge National Laboratory-led research team found genes for production of phytase enzymes that would be released by tropical soil microbes. Phytase enzymes will attack phytate molecules, releasing much needed phosphate molecules for the microbes' survival. The soil samples were collected in phosphorus-rich and -poor experimental sites at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in the Republic of Panama.

Credit

Melanie Mayes and Andy Sproles/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

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