By Jamie Martin
A groundbreaking scientific discovery may soon transform the agricultural industry. With support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), researchers uncovered the first nitrogen-fixing organelle—named the “nitroplast”—inside a multicellular organism.
This newly identified structure, found in a type of algae, can convert nitrogen gas into a usable form for plant growth, a task previously known to be performed only by bacteria.
The nitroplast could one day allow crops to fix nitrogen themselves, significantly reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers that currently cost U.S. farmers over $35 million annually and contribute to environmental pollution.
The research team, led by Professor Emeritus Jonathan Zehr of UC Santa Cruz, spent nearly three decades uncovering the mystery.
During ocean expeditions in the 1990s, they discovered a DNA fragment capable of fixing nitrogen, but it didn’t match any known organism.
Years later, they decoded the genome and found it belonged to an unknown organelle—one that evolved from a bacterium to become part of algae cells.
“This journey of discovery spanning almost three decades is a clear example of the unique benefits that NSF's long-term investment in foundational research provides,” said Ricardo Letelier, an NSF program officer.
The team included Zehr, postdoc Tyler Coale, doctoral student Esther Mak, paleontologist Kyoko Hagino, and assistant professor Kendra Turk-Kubo. Their findings were published in a major scientific paper that won the 2025 AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize.
Much like the evolution of mitochondria and chloroplasts, the nitroplast represents a natural innovation that could reshape food systems.
Scientists believe this advancement may lead to new crop technologies capable of thriving without added fertilizers—boosting both sustainability and productivity for farmers.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-eugenesergeev
Categories: National