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Utah News

Out of Thin Air: Making Fertilizer with Sunlight

Utah Public Radio | By Daniel Kinka
Published August 18, 2016 at 3:29 PM MDT
Graphics3_FeP_Al_Hicks_NREL_0.png
Al Hicks
/
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

A new scientific discovery may change the way we make fertilizer. A team of researchers have found a new way to produce Ammonia (NH3) from atmospheric Nitrogen (N2) using sunlight instead of fossil fuels. The discovery may have profound effects on the sustainability of food production.

 

 

 

NitrogenFixationResearchDiagramUSUApril2016.jpg
Credit Mary-Ann Muffoletto / Utah State University
/
Utah State University
The old way of fixing Nitrogen (left) and the new way (right).

 

FullInterview_LanceSeefeldt.mp3
Listen to the full interview with Dr. Lance Seefeldt here.

The study was published in the academic journal Science. It is available (behind a paywall) here: Light-driven dinitrogen reduction catalyzed by a CdS:nitrogenaseMoFe protein biohybrid

 

 

Songs featured in this story:

The Obvious Child by Paul Simon

True Affection by The Blow

Tags
Utah News ScienceSustainabilityAgriculture
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