Extremist Organisms

Cold air and snow don’t kill viruses, bacteria, or germs, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In fact, most germs will stay dormant in freezing temperatures. Some microbes, especially bacteria, have adapted to survive in cold environments and are called psychrophiles.

This term apparently comes from the Greek words psychros meaning “cold and frozen” and philia meaning “loving”. This review provides an overview on how knowledge of extremophile viruses sheds light on the application of new tools of relevant use in modern molecular biology, discussing their value in a biotechnological context.

Extremophile organisms are found in hostile environments; places where life was thought not to be possible.

Facultative-adapted organisms, known as extremotolerant, can be found from toxic waste, acid and alkaline lakes, to high pressure, ice or extremely hot environments. Hence, organisms that require these extreme environments to survive are classified (or known) as extremophilic. These organisms and their adaptations are not only fascinating from a biological perspective but also have potential biotechnological applications. Enzymes and other biomolecules from extremophiles often have unique properties that make them useful in industrial processes or research applications.

High in the mountains and along stretches of coast where there is snow cover throughout the year, you sometimes find “watermelon…