Positronic detection of iron reducing, ammonia oxidizing, microorganisms

生活在土壤中的自然存在的细菌可能能够解决草原农业的一个紧迫问题；如何清理溢出的多余肥料。这些被称为Feammox的细菌是最近才被发现的，很难被检测到，因为它们以铁、二氧化碳和氨为食。利用萨斯喀彻温省回旋加速器科学中心（SCCS）最新可用的同位素，我们建议在草原土壤中识别和表征这些Feammox细菌。为此，我们将开发利用正电子发射氮同位素13N估算土壤氮损失的新方法。在此之后，我们将使用碳的正电子发射同位素11C来分离Feammox细菌活跃的土壤区域。该区域的识别将扩展SCCS中存在的专业PET探测器Bio-PET的能力，通过使用先进的图像重建技术，能够检测土壤中存在的细菌。与联邦合作有限公司密切合作，我们将探索是否可以添加各种形式的铁来促进土壤中氨的去除。通过这样做，我们将通过减少农业生产力提高带来的环境足迹来提高农业的可持续性。

Naturally occurring bacteria that live in the soil may be able to solve a pressing problem for prairie agriculture; how to clean up excess fertilizer from spills. These bacteria, called Feammox, were only recently discovered and are very difficult to detect because they live off of iron, carbon dioxide and ammonia. Using newly available isotopes at the Saskatchewan Centre for Cyclotron Science (SCCS), we propose to identify and characterize these Feammox bacteria in prairie soils. To do so, we will develop new methods to estimate nitrogen loss from soil using the positron emitting nitrogen isotope, 13N. Following this, we will use the positron emitting isotope of carbon, 11C, to isolate regions of the soil where Feammox bacteria are active. Identification of the region will extend the capabilities of the specialized PET detector present at the SCCS, the Bio-PET, to be able to detect bacteria present in the soil through the use of advanced image reconstruction technologies. Working closely with Federated Cooperative Limited, we will explore if we can add forms of iron to stimulate ammonia removal from soil. In so doing, we will increase agricultural sustainability by reducing the environmental footprint of increased agricultural productivity.