Positronic detection of iron reducing, ammonia oxidizing, microorganisms

生活在土壤中的自然产生的细菌或许能够解决草原农业的一个紧迫问题：如何清理泄漏出来的多余肥料。这些细菌被称为Feammox，是最近才发现的，很难检测到，因为它们依靠铁、二氧化碳和氨生存。利用萨斯喀彻温省回旋加速器科学中心(SCCS)新获得的同位素，我们建议鉴定和表征草原土壤中的这些Feammox细菌。为此，我们将开发新的方法，使用发射氮的正电子同位素13N来估计土壤中的氮素损失。随后，我们将使用碳的正电子发射同位素11C来分离土壤中Feammox细菌活跃的区域。该区域的识别将扩大SCCS的专用PET探测器--Bio-PET的能力，使其能够通过使用先进的图像重建技术来检测土壤中存在的细菌。我们将与联合合作社有限公司密切合作，探索是否可以添加各种形式的铁来刺激土壤中氨的去除。在这样做的过程中，我们将通过减少农业生产率提高对环境的影响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.