• A research team at the University of Freiburg led by biochemist Prof. Dr. Oliver Einsle has discovered how the ‘Shethna protein II’ protects the nitrogen-fixing enzyme nitrogenase from damage.

• The oxygen sensor protein could help to make nitrogenase usable in biotechnology, thereby reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers.

• The results of the Freiburg team have been published in the journal Nature.