All articles tagged with #nitrogenase
A study led by Garnet Chan shows the ground-state energy of FeMo-co, the active site of nitrogenase, can be accurately computed with classical methods, challenging the belief that quantum computers are required for modeling such highly correlated chemical systems and suggesting progress in chemistry can proceed without waiting for fault-tolerant quantum hardware.
A new study traces the deep-time origins of molybdenum and tungsten use in biology, reconstructing when Mo- and W-dependent enzymes, their cofactor biosynthesis, and transport systems first appeared. Molecular dating places Mo/W utilization back to the early Archaean (~3.7–3.1 billion years ago), suggesting that Mo-based biochemistry was already shaping early microbial evolution despite purportedly limited Mo availability in ancient oceans and highlighting the ancient link between Mo cofactors and nitrogenase-driven nitrogen fixation.
Researchers rebuilt four ancient nitrogenase enzymes dating up to about 2.3 billion years ago and inserted them into Azotobacter vinelandii. All variants supported nitrogen fixation, though at slower rates than modern enzymes, and produced nitrogen-isotope fingerprints that match those seen in modern microbes and Archean rocks, implying an earlier origin for Mo-nitrogenase. The work offers new ways to study Earth's early biology and could inform future agricultural and exobiology research.
UW–Madison researchers resurrected a 3.2‑billion‑year‑old nitrogenase enzyme and tested it in modern microbes to study its function and isotope fingerprints, validating ancient biosignatures in rocks and advancing the search for life beyond Earth through NASA-backed astrobiology research.