The Decomposition of Protein Substances through the Action of Bacteria

The function of bacteria in the production of ammonia from the protein substances in soil is well known. How these proteins are acted upon, whether it is a hydrolytic process brought about by enzymatic action, whether an oxidative one, or whether a more complex chemical reaction, is yet an unsettled question. In order to ascertain, if possible, by controlling influencing factors as much as conditions would permit, the chemical changes that proteins undergo when acted upon by bacteria, the cause of partial ammonification of protein substances, and the nature of the reactions in general, the following series of experiments was undertaken.