Positronic detection of iron reducing, ammonia oxidizing, microorganisms

生活在土壤中的天然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。这种细菌被称为Feammox，是最近才发现的，很难被发现，因为它们以铁、二氧化碳和氨为生。使用新的同位素在萨斯喀彻温省回旋加速器科学中心（SCCS），我们建议识别和表征这些Feammox细菌在草原土壤中。为此，我们将开发新的方法，使用正电子发射氮同位素13 N来估计土壤中的氮流失。在此之后，我们将使用碳的正电子发射同位素11 C来隔离Feammox细菌活跃的土壤区域。该区域的识别将扩展SCCS中的专用PET探测器Bio-PET的能力，以便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。与联邦合作有限公司密切合作，我们将探索是否可以添加铁的形式，以刺激从土壤中去除氨。在这样做的过程中，我们将通过减少农业生产力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.