https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/https://www.rawpixel.com/image/8735161
Linus Pauling Fellow Darian Smercina holds a vial of blue and green gradients where nitrogen fixing microorganisms are growing in the presence of nitrogen.
This gradient, generated by changes in pH, shows us that the microorganisms like to hang out near the top of the vial where oxygen is readily available. In another vial, which is a solid blue hue, nitrogen is not present and the microorganisms are growing much slower (no biofilms here), but are more widespread in the vial because oxygen is bad for nitrogen fixation. Smercina joined PNNL in August 2020 after finishing her doctorate in crop and soil science at Michigan State University. PNNL’s equipment and resources (including experts in her field of study) were enticements to Smercina during her job search. Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Original public domain image from Flickr
Public DomainFree CC0 image for Personal and Business use