Extremophiles in Biotechnology: Challenges and Advancements in Sustainable Applications

Extremophiles are microorganisms that can adapt and survive in extreme environmental conditions, such as extreme pH, temperature, and pressure, and as such they represent a significant frontier in biotechnology. Their unique adaptations enable them to withstand harsh environments and perform functions that are invaluable to various industrial and research sectors. They are capable of producing different metabolites that can be used in medical and industrial applications, providing promising resources for the development of bio-based products in pharmaceuticals, food, and agriculture. Their cellular and molecular adaptations enable them to survive in extreme conditions, by forming valued extremolytes and extremozymes.

Despite their significant potential, challenges including the difficulty in their sampling, isolation, cultivation, metabolic complexity, and understanding stress responses complicate research efforts at industrial level. Advanced equipment and lab setups are costly and technically demanding. Standardizing applications in agriculture, medicine, and industry requires ensuring consistent quality, safety, and efficacy. The broad range of biotechnological applications that have been theorized necessitates a deeper understanding of extremophiles, particularly in terms of their metabolic pathways and genetic makeup. Our primary goal is to highlight current research on metabolites derived from extremophiles and their potential future applications in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and industry.

This Research Topic aims to explore the latest advancements and address the gaps in the application of extremophiles in biotechnology. It will focus on the challenges of researching these microorganisms, such as the complexities involved in replicating their native extreme environments in the lab and the technical hurdles in studying their unique biological processes and metabolites production. In addition, we aim to foster discussions on novel methodologies for improving the usability of extremophiles in industry, such as agriculture, food industry and pharmaceuticals, thereby enhancing the economic feasibility and sustainability of their applications.

We welcome submission of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Methods and Opinion articles contributing to the understanding of the following:

• Advanced culturing techniques for value-added metabolite production from extremophiles including pigments, enzymes, polysaccharides, bioactive compounds, anti-freezing compounds and osmolytes;
• Applications of synthetic biology and functional genomics in extremophile research;
• Biotechnological applications of extremophiles in food preservation and spoilage prevention etc.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Extremophiles biotechnology, Industrial applications of extremophiles, Metabolite production, Extremozymes and extremolytes, Synthetic biology and extremophiles, Advanced culturing techniques

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.