Norwich Research Park’s Inspiring Science: Clover, peas and beans or ‘legumes’ are particularly good for the soil as their roots develop lumpy nodules. Nodules form homes for bacteria who draw nitrogen from the air for use by the plant. This process, known as nitrogen fixation, is being studied by scientists at the John Innes Centre on Norwich Research Park. Understanding this process will help develop new sustainable ways of increasing soil fertility, offering an alternative to the use of synthetic nitrate fertilisers that we use today which can have detrimental impact on the environment.