extremophiles such as Cyanidium caldarium [36] and Galdieria sulphuraria [37]
are highly lipogenic and are attractive for biodiesel production. Extremophiles are
also considered for production of fuel hydrogen. In fact, large-scale processes have
been tried using the thermophilic strains of Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus
and Thermotoga elfii [38]. Studies on Thermoanaerobacterium [39], Pyrococcus
[40], and Aeropyrum [41] indicated the promising potentials of these organisms in
fuel hydrogen production. The extraordinary potential of extremophiles has motivated the engineering of hyperthermophiles for production of biohydrogen [42].
As shown in Fig. 1, extremophiles are leaving their outstanding marks on many
applications including agriculture and mining. Agriculture is known to be one of the
beneficiaries of biotechnological innovations. Microorganisms and their products
have been used not only to boost productivity but also to improve the quality of the
yield. Extremophiles, in addition to their use in food and feed processing, compost
making, etc. are found with enormous potential that can significantly improve
agricultural productivity in cold [43], dry [44–46], and saline [47] environments. It
seems, in the time ahead, extremophiles together with techniques of molecular
biology will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of agriculture.
In mining, among the many possibilities that extremophiles can be used or
applied, leaching is one of the most important processes. Leaching is a prominent
mining activity that extracts valuable minerals from their respective ores. The
traditional leaching process requires the use of chemicals including toxic substances
such as cyanide and mercury [48], which makes mining one of the most polluting
human activities. The alternative technology, bioleaching, uses microorganisms
instead of chemicals to leach out metals from the ores in environmentally benign
way. This process has been used to mine copper, gold, silver, nickel, zinc, uranium,
etc. and, hence, becoming increasingly important in the mining sector. Since the
leaching process involves extreme conditions such as low pH, high metal concentration, and high temperature, organisms considered for biomining should tolerate
the extreme conditions which makes extremophiles the primary choice. The acidophilic strains that belong to the genera Acidithiobacillus, Leptospirillum,
Ferroplasma, Sulfolobus, and Metallosphaera [49, 50] can be mentioned as examples that are widely used in bioleaching processes.
As biotechnology becomes increasingly important in our daily lives,
extremophiles are emerging as one of the most important contributors revolutionizing the field of biotechnology. Several industrial, agricultural, medicinal, nutraceutical, energy, personal care and hygiene, environmental, and other astonishingly
diverse applications are involving extremophiles directly or indirectly. Alkaliphiles
are among these extraordinary extremophiles of great biotechnological importance,
and this chapter focuses on this class of extremophiles and tries to depict the
immense biotechnological potential.
8
G. Mamo and B. Mattiasson
are highly lipogenic and are attractive for biodiesel production. Extremophiles are
also considered for production of fuel hydrogen. In fact, large-scale processes have
been tried using the thermophilic strains of Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus
and Thermotoga elfii [38]. Studies on Thermoanaerobacterium [39], Pyrococcus
[40], and Aeropyrum [41] indicated the promising potentials of these organisms in
fuel hydrogen production. The extraordinary potential of extremophiles has motivated the engineering of hyperthermophiles for production of biohydrogen [42].
As shown in Fig. 1, extremophiles are leaving their outstanding marks on many
applications including agriculture and mining. Agriculture is known to be one of the
beneficiaries of biotechnological innovations. Microorganisms and their products
have been used not only to boost productivity but also to improve the quality of the
yield. Extremophiles, in addition to their use in food and feed processing, compost
making, etc. are found with enormous potential that can significantly improve
agricultural productivity in cold [43], dry [44–46], and saline [47] environments. It
seems, in the time ahead, extremophiles together with techniques of molecular
biology will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of agriculture.
In mining, among the many possibilities that extremophiles can be used or
applied, leaching is one of the most important processes. Leaching is a prominent
mining activity that extracts valuable minerals from their respective ores. The
traditional leaching process requires the use of chemicals including toxic substances
such as cyanide and mercury [48], which makes mining one of the most polluting
human activities. The alternative technology, bioleaching, uses microorganisms
instead of chemicals to leach out metals from the ores in environmentally benign
way. This process has been used to mine copper, gold, silver, nickel, zinc, uranium,
etc. and, hence, becoming increasingly important in the mining sector. Since the
leaching process involves extreme conditions such as low pH, high metal concentration, and high temperature, organisms considered for biomining should tolerate
the extreme conditions which makes extremophiles the primary choice. The acidophilic strains that belong to the genera Acidithiobacillus, Leptospirillum,
Ferroplasma, Sulfolobus, and Metallosphaera [49, 50] can be mentioned as examples that are widely used in bioleaching processes.
As biotechnology becomes increasingly important in our daily lives,
extremophiles are emerging as one of the most important contributors revolutionizing the field of biotechnology. Several industrial, agricultural, medicinal, nutraceutical, energy, personal care and hygiene, environmental, and other astonishingly
diverse applications are involving extremophiles directly or indirectly. Alkaliphiles
are among these extraordinary extremophiles of great biotechnological importance,
and this chapter focuses on this class of extremophiles and tries to depict the
immense biotechnological potential.
8
G. Mamo and B. Mattiasson