Exploration of extremophiles for high temperature biotechnological processes

Industrial processes often take place under harsh conditions that are hostile to microorganisms and their biocatalysts. Microorganisms surviving at temperatures above 60 degrees C represent a chest of biotechnological treasures for high-temperature bioprocesses by producing a large portfolio of biocatalysts (thermozymes). Due to the unique requirements to cultivate thermophilic (60-80 degrees C) and hyperthermophilic (80-110 degrees C) Bacteria and Archaea, less than 5% are cultivable in the laboratory. Therefore, other approaches including sequence-based screenings and metagenomics have been successful in providing novel thermozymes. In particular, polysaccharide-degrading enzymes (amylolytic enzymes, hemicellulases, cellulases, pectinases and chitinases), lipolytic enzymes and proteases from thermophiles have attracted interest due to their potential for versatile applications in pharmaceutical, chemical, food, textile, paper, leather and feed industries as well as in biorefineries.