Diversity, Physiology, and Biotechnological Potential of Halo(alkali)philic Methane-Consuming Bacteria

Abstract

Nature supplies us with a large array of microbesMicrobes, known as methanotrophsMethanotrophs, as efficient factories for methane capturingMethane capturingand conversions. Among them, the halo(alkali)philic methanotrophsHalo(alkali)philic methanotrophic bacteriastand out as the most favorable systems for industrial explorations as new sources of salt/pH stable enzymes and as native producers of amino acids, sugars, and osmoprotectantsOsmoprotectants. In recent years, the array of halo(alkali)philic methanotrophHalo(alkali)philic methanotrophic bacteriaapplications has been extended to fuels and chemicals, fostering thorough investigations of their physiologyPhysiology, geneticsGenetics, genomicsGenomicsand systems biologySystems biology. Here we summarize four decades of research on halo(alkali)philic methanotrophic bacteriaHalo(alkali)philic methanotrophic bacteria, as well as provide our vision of further developments.