Once again, as throughout nature, we learn to harness the power of bacteria

This time: innovation in farming

Excerpt: "Mariangela Hungria, a microbiologist in Brazil, spent decades looking for bacteria in the soil that could act like fertilizer, boosting farmers' harvests. But she faced a lot of skepticism.

"When I started my career, everybody was like, 'You're crazy! You will never succeed. This will never be possible,'" she recalls.

Today, her work was rewarded with the World Food Prize, which recognizes advances in agriculture and nutrition. Bestowed by the World Food Prize Foundation since 1987, it comes with a cash award of $500,000.

Hungria has spent her entire career as a scientist with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), a storied institution that's widely credited with turning Brazil into an agricultural superpower. Fifty years ago, Brazil was a net importer of food. Today, it's the world's biggest exporter of soybeans and several other major crops. Brazil has surpassed the U.S. to become the leader in satisfying China's appetite for soybeans."