Extremophiles

This latest volume in the Methods in Microbiology series provides an overview of the methods used for the isolation, cultivation and handling of a wide variety of extremophiles, both at the stage of their isolation from natural samples and in pure culture. It contains protocols specific for work with extremophiles, as well as adaptations of “standard” microbiology protocols modified to enable the handling of extremophiles. Emphasis will be on detailed time-tested protocols that are specific for work with extremophiles and adaptations of “standard” microbiology protocols that have to be modified to be suitable for handling extremophiles.

* Guides newcomers in the field of extremophile microbiology in the techniques used
* Provides an overview of all areas of extremophile research
* Many protocols could be adapted for use with a wide range of organisms

THERMOPHILES
In-situ activity studies in thermal environments
The isolation of thermophiles from deep-sea hydrothermal environments
Growth of hyperthermophilic microorganisms for physiological and nutritional studies
Toward the large scale cultivation of hyperthermophiles at high temperature and high-pressure
The chemotaxonomic analysis of lipids from extremophilic bacteria
Membranes of thermophiles and other extremophiles
Characterization and quantification of compatible solutes in (hyper)thermophilic microorganisms
Functional genomics of the thermo-acidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus
Heat shock proteins in hyperthermophiles
Deep-sea Thermococcales and their genetic elements: plasmids and viruses
Genetic systems for Thermus
Gene transfer systems for obligately anaerobic thermophilic bacteria
Hyperthermophilic virus-host systems: detection and isolation
Preservation of thermophilic microorganisms
PSYCHROPHILES
Handling psychrophilic microorganisms
Proteins from psychrophiles
ALKALIPHILES
Cultivation of aerobic alkaliphiles
Isolation, cultivation, and characterization of alkalithermophiles
ACIDOPHILES
The isolation and study of acidophilic microorganisms
HALOPHILES
Characterization of natural communities of halophilic microorganisms
Cultivation of haloarchaea
Halophile extraction from ancient crystals
The assessment of the viability of halophilic microorganisms in natural communities
Characterization of lipids of halophilic Archaea
Characterization of organic compatible solutes of halotolerant and halophilic organisms
Genetic systems for halophilic archaea
The isolation ?of viruses of halophilic microorganisms
Detection, quantification and purification of halocins: peptide antibiotics from haloarchaeal extremophiles
The storage of halophilic bacteria
BAROPHILES
Handling piezophilic microorganisms
RADIATION-RESISTANT MICROORGANISMS
Measuring survival in microbial populations following exposure to ionizing radiation
STRICT ANAEROBES
Strictly anaerobic microorganisms
APPLICATIONS OF EXTREMOPHILES
Industrial screening of extemophiles for valuable biomolecules