About this Research Topic

Background

Extreme environments are characterized by extremes of temperature, radiation, pressure, acidity, alkalinity, water availability, salinity; their carbon and energy sources are therefore used only by a restricted range of extremophilic organisms that survive and thrive in these environments with unique physiological adaptations. The vast majority of extremophiles are microbes, mainly archaea and bacteria but also some eukaryotes. In particular, extremophiles provide a range of potentially exploitable biotechnological tools and processes. They are a valuable source of industrially important enzymes, and recent research has revealed novel mechanisms and biomolecular structures with a broad range of potential applications in biotechnology, biomining and bioremediation.

The purpose of this topic is:

- to understand the rationale for extreme adaptations and molecular mechanisms under extreme adaptations.
- to explore new enzymes from extremophiles for industrial applications.
- to screen new enzymes from the environment.
- Large-scale ‘-omic’ data-mining

In this Research Topic, we encourage submissions which explore the breadth and depth of this growing research and development area. Although papers related to these sub-topics are especially welcome, quality manuscripts exploring other aspects of “Extremophilic Industrially Important Enzymes and Molecular Mechanisms”, for example the evolutionary context of adaptations, will also be considered.

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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