Abstract
Scientific understanding tends to develop incrementally with occasional imaginative leaps. This sequence is clearly demonstrated in the first two historical chapters of this volume. Biochemical studies took a great leap forward with the discovery of the conditions required for making active cell-free extracts from diazotrophic bacteria. It must have been a great surprise to realise that nitrogenase, even when isolated from strictly aerobic bacteria, is damaged by exposure to O2. There is now a wealth of data on molybdenum-nitrogenase and increasing understanding of the vanadium-, iron-only and, more recently, the superoxide-dependent enzyme. Nevertheless, important questions remain.
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© 2004 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Richards, R.L., Smith, B.E. (2004). Future Challenges and Prospects. In: Smith, B.E., Richards, R.L., Newton, W.E. (eds) Catalysts for Nitrogen Fixation. Nitrogen Fixation: Origins, Applications, and Research Progress, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3611-8_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-3611-8_13
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