Competitive fitness and stability of ammonium-excreting Azotobacter vinelandii strains in the soil.

Non-symbiotic N-fixation would greatly increase the versatility of N-biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture. Genetic modification of diazotrophic bacteria has successfully enhanced NH release. In this study, we compared the competitive fitness of A.

Deferred control of ammonium cross-feeding in a N-fixing bacterium-microalga artificial consortium.

There is an increasing interest in the use of N-fixing bacteria for the sustainable biofertilization of crops. Genetically-optimized bacteria for ammonium release have an improved biofertilization capacity. Some of these strains also cross-feed ammonium into microalgae raising additional concerns on their sustainable use in agriculture due to the potential risk of producing a higher and longer-lasting eutrophication problem than synthetic N-fertilizers.

Metabolic engineering of a diazotrophic bacterium improves ammonium release and biofertilization of plants and microalgae.

The biological nitrogen fixation carried out by some Bacteria and Archaea is one of the most attractive alternatives to synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. However, with the exception of the symbiotic rhizobia-legumes system, progress towards a more extensive realization of this goal has been slow. In this study we manipulated the endogenous regulation of both nitrogen fixation and assimilation in the aerobic bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii.