Plants assimilate nitrate and turn it into amino acids and proteins, which is what nourishes animals when they eat plants. In the right place and the right amount, ammonia and nitrate are good. The production of ammonia is a necessary step toward the production of nitrate, and nitrate nourishes plants, which nourish animals. Problems can arise, however, if nitrate becomes concentrated in excessive amounts in rivers, streams, lakes or other surface waters. In surface waters, excessive nutrients can fuel algae blooms.
Algae use the nutrients to grow.
When algae die, decomposition uses up oxygen in the water. Without oxygen, fish and other marine animals begin to die. At the same time, nitrate in excessive amounts in ground water used for drinking can pose health problems for people. Much of our research has focused on the processes that convert nitrogen from one form to another in the nitrogen cycle. We are looking at methods of enhancing nitrification, of more effectively turning ammonia into nitrate.