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Updated: May 7, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Ammonia oxidation kinetics determine niche separation of nitrifying Archaea and Bacteria
Willm Martens-Habbena1, Paul M Berube, Hidetoshi Urakawa
1Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA. willmmh@u.washington.edu
Abstract:
The discovery of ammonia oxidation by mesophilic and thermophilic Crenarchaeota and the widespread distribution of these organisms in marine and terrestrial environments indicated an important role for them in the global nitrogen cycle. However, very little is known about their physiology or their contribution to nitrification. Here we report oligotrophic ammonia oxidation kinetics and cellular characteristics of the mesophilic crenarchaeon 'Candidatus Nitrosopumilus maritimus' strain SCM1. Unlike characterized ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, SCM1 is adapted to life under extreme nutrient limitation, sustaining high specific oxidation rates at ammonium concentrations found in open oceans. Its half-saturation constant (K(m) = 133 nM total ammonium) and substrate threshold (
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