BIOCHEMISTRY

Biochemistry scientists are in good company among the many CALS researchers who have worked to harness the power of plants to fix nitrogen in the soil. Biochemistry's Bob Burris, Paul Ludden, Vinod Shah, and Ophelia Venturelli are among those who have contributed to our understanding of nitrogen-fixation, a process of tremendous importance for increasing the productivity of farm fields and their ability to feed the world's population.

Read more in GROW magazine's story:

Of Mutant Wranglers and Slime Whisperers

It’s a decades-long story — the quest to understand how certain plants form a fertilization partnership with bacteria. If harnessed correctly in cereal crops, this natural power can help feed a growing population without harming the environment. Critical chapters of the story have taken place at UW–Madison. Its principal characters have walked the halls of CALS. And the compelling tale is still unfolding.

By Eric Hamilton