Can scientists create nitrogen-fixing plants?

Abstract

Plant Science Globally, more than $100 billion is spent each year on nitrogen fertilizers, which also cause substantial environmental damage. In a Perspective, Good highlights recent research into creating plants that can directly fix nitrogen from the air. Laboratory studies have shown that genes required for nitrogen fixation can be introduced into plants and that these engineered plants can make a key part of the nitrogen-fixing enzyme nitrogenase. However, no plant has been shown to fix nitrogen directly. Given recent technical advances, a concerted research effort focused on a specific set of suitable model plants could quickly make considerable progress toward this goal. But even once such a plant has been made, substantial hurdles remain in translating this research to the field. Science , this issue p. [869][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aas8737