Identifying microbes
Microbiologists estimate that maybe as little as less than one percent of all microbial species have been described.
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A group of researchers from the Centre for Geobiology (CGB) have isolated, characterised and genome sequenced 5 new (hyper) thermophilic isolates from the relatively unexplored, inaccessible, extreme environment of deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge.
Mining Norwegian biodiversity
Marine species that live in extreme environments, such as around deep-sea hydrothermal vents, are considered a valuable potential source of robust enzymes with properties suitable for industrial use.
This is because the organisms that live there have had to adapt to conditions of extreme pressure, temperature and pH.
The CGB researchers have recently completed a series of complementary studies that have enabled them to isolate, characterise and sequence 5 new isolates. The 5 are adapted to life in hot, and even very hot, environments ((hyper) thermophile – heat-loving).
A number of specific enzymes, some of these for specifically breaking down proteins, were identified. The final studies evaluated how the isolates grew on substrates of industrial interest.
The research team plans to undertake further more in-depth genome analyses. They will also conduct metagenomic studies on the cultures grown on the industrial substrates.