Anammox bacteria devour nitric oxide - and that`s good for the climate
(WorldNews Netherlands)

Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent signal molecule and toxin, and plays an important role in the microbial nitrogen cycle. A study by microbiologists of Radboud University and the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Germany, now shows that anammox bacteria can grow at the expense of NO in concentrations that would be lethal for almost all other life forms. The results, published today in Nature Communications, require to change our view of the earth`s nitrogen cycle and how anammox bacteria could be applied in man-made ecosystems. Nitric oxide is a fascinating and versatile molecule, important for all living things as well as our environment: It is highly reactive and toxic, it is used...