What we learn from extremophiles

Abstract

Extremophiles are microorganisms that love extreme conditions, such as high temperatures up to the boiling point of water or low temperatures down to below the freezing point. Moreover, some extreme microbes prefer to live in acidic or alkaline environments, under high pressure or high salinity. Three extremophilic species are presented in this article: Lacinutrix algicola, a psychrophilic bacterium that grows at temperatures between 0 and 25 °C, Anaerobranca gottschalkii, a thermophilic and alkaliphilic bacterium growing optimally at 50–55 °C under alkaline conditions, and Pyrococcus furiosus, a famous hyperthermophilic archaeon that prefers 100 °C for growth. These extraordinary microorganisms are examples of extremophiles that possess remarkable adaptation mechanisms and additionally produce unique enzymes called extremozymes. These robust biocatalysts can be applied in various biotechnologic processes to enable substrate conversions under extreme process conditions. Due to their unusual properties, extremophiles and extremozymes will play a pivotal role in the development of modern circular bioeconomy.