<p>We are motivated by the vision of making <strong>the first step of what could be one of the biggest contributions to sustainable agriculture in the near future</strong>. We believe that the use of the nitroplast's capabilities could lead to more eco-friendly farming practices and help address some of the pressing challenges associated with current fertilization techniques, both in the Netherlands where there is a major nitrogen crisis, and globally where a growing demand for feed crops clashes with a need to reduce greenhouse emissions. Our project aims to harness the power of this organelle to create a <strong>more sustainable and efficient approach to crop cultivation</strong>, ultimately benefiting both the environment and the agricultural industry.</p>
<p>The Nature publication by Coale <em>et al.</em> examines UCYN-A, which evolved from a cyanobacterial species capable of converting N<sub>2</sub> into organic nitrogenous compounds, and its relationship with the marine alga <em>Braadurosphaera bigelowii</em>. It has already been established that UCYN-A and <em>B. bigelowii</em> have a symbiotic relationship, where <em>B. bigelowii</em> functions as a so-called host, and has taken up the UCYN-A bacteria into its cell in a process known as endosymbiosis. <strong>The symbiont, UCYN-A, fixes nitrogen for the host</strong> whereas <em>B. bigelowii</em> supplies organic carbon and a conducive living environment. This paper proved that UCYN-A is not simply a symbiont, but has instead evolved into an organelle for the eukaryotic alga for nitrogen fixation, and is now called the <strong>"nitroplast"</strong><ahref="#cite11"style="color: #185A4F;">[11]</a>.</p>
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<p>The discovery of the nitroplast captured our interest - we had considered a project on nitrogen fixation before but failed to see a way in which we could innovate or propose new solutions to the problems previous teams faced. All diazotrophs (bacteria and archaea that fix atmospheric N<sub>2</sub>) use the <strong>enzyme nitrogenase</strong> to fix nitrogen, but the expression of this enzyme presents great difficulties: it is <strong>irreversibly damaged by reacting with oxygen</strong>, while at the same time catalyzing an energetically demanding reaction. Due to this, diazotrophs have evolved very complex mechanisms to couple nitrogen fixation with respiration and/or photosynthesis, which so far has been beyond reach in terms of reproduction by synthetic biologists. The <strong>nitroplast solves this problem, acting as a fully contained compartment within a eukaryote where nitrogen fixation takes place</strong>, utilizing several years of evolutionary optimization.</p>
<p>Replicating endosymbiosis, while more ambitious than root-bacteria symbiosis, <strong>ensures by design that cell and organelle will work tightly together</strong>, preventing the difficulties associated with either root-dependence or nitrogenase expression. Our ideal <strong>long-term goal would be to introduce this organelle into crops</strong>. By doing this, it may be possible to <strong>reduce the reliance on synthetic fertilizers</strong>, thereby lowering environmental impact of their production and use, and enhancing sustainability in agriculture. This potential for positive change inspired our group to explore this innovative solution further.</p>
<p>We are motivated by the vision of making <strong>the first step of what could be one of the biggest contributions to sustainable agriculture in the near future</strong>. We believe that the use of the nitroplast's capabilities could lead to more eco-friendly farming practices and help address some of the pressing challenges associated with current fertilization techniques, both in the Netherlands where there is a major nitrogen crisis, and globally where a growing demand for feed crops clashes with a need to reduce greenhouse emissions. Our project aims to harness the power of this organelle to create a <strong>more sustainable and efficient approach to crop cultivation</strong>, ultimately benefiting both the environment and the agricultural industry.</p>
