A journey into the active center of nitrogenase

Nitrogenase catalyzes the reduction of N2 to NH3, a key step in the global nitrogen cycle. This article describes our journey toward the definition of a complete molecular structure of the active site of nitrogenase, with an emphasis on the discovery of the interstitial carbide and the radical SAM-dependent insertion of this atom into the active FeMo cofactor site of nitrogenase.