Sepe Fabrizia, Costanzo Ezia, Ionata Elena, Marcolongo Loredana
Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples, Federico II, Via Federico Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy.
Biology (Basel). 2025 Jul 11;14(7):847. doi: 10.3390/biology14070847.
Extremophiles are microorganisms capable of living on Earth in ecological niches characterized by peculiar conditions, including extreme temperatures and/or pH, high salt concentrations, and the presence of heavy metals. The development of unique structural and functional adaptation strategies has stimulated an increasing scientific interest since their discovery. The importance of extremophiles lies in their exploitability in significant bioprocesses with several biotechnological applications and their role as a fundamental source of numerous high-value-added biomolecules. This review aims to examine the diversity and specificities of extremophilic archaea and bacteria, with particular emphasis on their potential applications and development in biotechnology and biomedicine. The use of extremophiles and their extremozymes has allowed applications in several fields, such as bioremediation, sustainable agriculture, the recovery of bioactive molecules for use in bioenergy, biomedicine, and nanoparticle production. The comprehension and exploitation of the complex molecular mechanisms that enable life in extreme environments represent a challenge to mitigate current climate change problems and to invest in sustainable development towards a green transition.
极端微生物是能够在地球上以特殊条件为特征的生态位中生存的微生物，这些特殊条件包括极端温度和/或pH值、高盐浓度以及重金属的存在。自它们被发现以来，独特的结构和功能适应策略的发展激发了越来越多的科学兴趣。极端微生物的重要性在于它们在具有多种生物技术应用的重要生物过程中的可利用性，以及它们作为众多高附加值生物分子的基本来源的作用。本综述旨在研究嗜极古菌和细菌的多样性和特异性，特别强调它们在生物技术和生物医学中的潜在应用和发展。极端微生物及其极端酶的使用已在多个领域得到应用，如生物修复、可持续农业、用于生物能源、生物医学和纳米颗粒生产的生物活性分子的回收。理解和利用使生命能够在极端环境中生存的复杂分子机制，是缓解当前气候变化问题和投资于绿色转型的可持续发展的一项挑战。
