Requiem for a Stream

Global demand for fixed nitrogen has increased to the point that half the human population now relies on chemical fertilizer to grow their food. While fertilizer is a requirement for modern life, runoff from overfertilized farmland can cause eutrophication. In the presence of abundant ammonia, algae overgrow and consume the much of the available oxygen in the water. This results in decreased biodiversity throughout the watershed. Within Europe, 53% of lakes are eutrophic.

Using two E. coli mutants built with genes from Nitrosomonas europaea and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we provide a system to reverse nitrogen fixation. Our mutants consume ammonia and produce nitrous oxide, releases a sustainable source of energy when decomposed into nitrogen and oxygen. We also provide a prototype of a bioreactor that could be scaled up and deployed in the field to simultaneously clean the water and produce energy.