importance and human curiosity of understanding nature. Organisms living in
common “human-friendly” environments have served humanity for a very long
time, and this has led to exhaustion of the low-hanging “fruits,” a phenomenon
witnessed by the diminishing rate of new discoveries. For example, acquiring novel
products such as drugs from the traditional sources has become difficult and expensive. Such challenges together with the basic research interest have brought the
exploration of previously neglected or unknown groups of organisms.
Extremophiles are among these groups which have been brought to focus and
garnering a growing importance in biotechnology. In the last few decades, numerous
extremophiles and their products have got their ways into industrial, agricultural,
environmental, pharmaceutical, and other biotechnological applications.
Alkaliphiles, organisms which thrive optimally at or above pH 9, are one of the
most important classes of extremophiles. To flourish in their extreme habitats,
alkaliphiles evolved impressive structural and functional adaptations. The high pH
adaptation gave unique biocatalysts that are operationally stable at elevated pH and
several other novel products with immense biotechnological application potential.
Advances in the cultivation techniques, success in gene cloning and expression,
metabolic engineering, metagenomics, and other related techniques are significantly
contributing to expand the application horizon of these remarkable organisms of the
‘bizarre’ world. Studies have shown the enormous potential of alkaliphiles in
numerous biotechnological applications. Although it seems just the beginning,
some fantastic strides are already made in tapping this potential. This work tries to
review some of the prominent applications of alkaliphiles by focusing such as on
their enzymes, metabolites, exopolysaccharides, and biosurfactants. Moreover, the
chapter strives to assesses the whole-cell applications of alkaliphiles including in
biomining, food and feed supplementation, bioconstruction, microbial fuel cell,
biofuel production, and bioremediation.
2
G. Mamo and B. Mattiasson
common “human-friendly” environments have served humanity for a very long
time, and this has led to exhaustion of the low-hanging “fruits,” a phenomenon
witnessed by the diminishing rate of new discoveries. For example, acquiring novel
products such as drugs from the traditional sources has become difficult and expensive. Such challenges together with the basic research interest have brought the
exploration of previously neglected or unknown groups of organisms.
Extremophiles are among these groups which have been brought to focus and
garnering a growing importance in biotechnology. In the last few decades, numerous
extremophiles and their products have got their ways into industrial, agricultural,
environmental, pharmaceutical, and other biotechnological applications.
Alkaliphiles, organisms which thrive optimally at or above pH 9, are one of the
most important classes of extremophiles. To flourish in their extreme habitats,
alkaliphiles evolved impressive structural and functional adaptations. The high pH
adaptation gave unique biocatalysts that are operationally stable at elevated pH and
several other novel products with immense biotechnological application potential.
Advances in the cultivation techniques, success in gene cloning and expression,
metabolic engineering, metagenomics, and other related techniques are significantly
contributing to expand the application horizon of these remarkable organisms of the
‘bizarre’ world. Studies have shown the enormous potential of alkaliphiles in
numerous biotechnological applications. Although it seems just the beginning,
some fantastic strides are already made in tapping this potential. This work tries to
review some of the prominent applications of alkaliphiles by focusing such as on
their enzymes, metabolites, exopolysaccharides, and biosurfactants. Moreover, the
chapter strives to assesses the whole-cell applications of alkaliphiles including in
biomining, food and feed supplementation, bioconstruction, microbial fuel cell,
biofuel production, and bioremediation.
2
G. Mamo and B. Mattiasson