Source:  NCSU COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES, 6/17/22

Phosphorus is essential to all living things, one of the building blocks of DNA and cells’ energy currency. Food supplies rely on phosphorus fertilizers, but their use is inefficient and unsustainable: Non-renewable phosphate deposits are mined, and only 20% of the phosphorus used in the food system makes it to the human diet. A significant portion of the phosphorus seeps into soils and fresh water, becoming a contaminant that kills animals, grows algal blooms and expands coastal dead zones. Out of balance, this vital element can end life. 

The Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center is working to discover and develop ways to recycle phosphorus, make our food system more efficient, and protect the environment from waste. Headquartered at NC State and awarded by the National Science Foundation, the STEPS Center was launched in October 2021 after four years of preparation. It’s already adding to global understanding about phosphorus sustainability. 

“It’s been very engaging and fulfilling because we had this vision for STEPS, and now we are going through the implementation,” said Ross Sozzani, the center’s co-deputy director and an NC State University Faculty Scholar and professor of plant and microbial biology. “It’s exciting to see things falling into place.” 

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