Nitrogen fixation by photosynthetic bacteria: fundamentals and applications

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The photosynthetic bacteria are extremely metabolically versatile and serve as excellent model organisms for understanding a variety of basic biological processes including; nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis, and metabolic regulation. We are presently concentrating on deciphering the role of ammonia and energy sensing in the regulation of nitrogenase in Rhodobacter capsulatus. The survival and competiveness of microorganisms depend on their ability to sense and respond to the external milieu. This is particularly evident with compounds that are metabolized to form the basic building blocks of the cell. Nutrient-based regulation has been extensively studied with respect to transcriptional control, yet little is known about the direct sensing of nutrient availability.