Phosphorus is a key element for all life on Earth. For decades, researchers thought that, in nature, only enzymes could transform organic phosphorus—phosphates within biomolecules—into its ...

Northwestern University researchers are actively overturning the conventional view of iron oxides as mere phosphorus "sinks." A critical nutrient for life, most phosphorus in the soil is organic—from ...

Plants and microbes are known to secrete enzymes to transform organic phosphorus into bioavailable inorganic phosphorus. Now, researchers found that iron oxide in soil performs the same transformation ...

You may remember seeing phosphorus on a high school chemistry test or two. It’s one of the less abundant elements found on ...

Phosphorus is one of the 17 essential nutrients that make up a healthy, balanced diet for your plants. It plays a role in nearly every vital function happening inside them, from photosynthesis to ...

When most of us think about getting enough vitamins and minerals, we usually think of the ones that get the most attention like vitamins A, C and D and minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc.

Most phosphorus in the environment is in an organic form that plants cannot directly use, and traditional understanding suggested only enzymes could convert it into the bioavailable inorganic form.

Plants and microbes are known to secrete enzymes to transform organic phosphorus into bioavailable inorganic phosphorus. Now, researchers report iron oxides can drive the same conversion at comparable ...