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Hot Environments from Antarctica: Source of Thermophiles and Hyperthermophiles, with Potential Biotechnological Applications

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Thermophilic Microbes in Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology

Abstract

Antarctica, far from being an exclusively cold continent, has many geothermal sites with volcanic activity. Different islands belonging to this continent harbour different geothermal sites as thermal springs, fumaroles, hot soils and hydrothermal vents, providing ideal environments for the growth of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms. Hyperthermophiles are an important source of enzymes and bioactive compounds with biotechnological applications.

Deception Island, a horseshoe-shaped island, is the emergent part of a young active shield volcano, which is located at the southwestern part of the Bransfield Strait and has optimal and unique geological characteristics for supporting the growth of thermophilic microbes. Several thermophilic microorganisms have been isolated from this island, and several molecular studies are being carried out for obtaining bioactive compounds and enzymes of industrial interest. This review deals with thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms isolated from Antarctica and their biotechnological potential.

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Acknowledgments

This chapter partially reflects research founded by the project Innova-Corfo grant #07CN13PXT264, 2008–2012 and by Instituto Antártico Chileno grant Gabinete G0409.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, Santiago, Chile

    Patricio A. Flores, Maximiliano J. Amenábar & Jenny M. Blamey

  2. Departamento de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Patricio A. Flores & Jenny M. Blamey

Authors
  1. Patricio A. Flores
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  2. Maximiliano J. Amenábar
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  3. Jenny M. Blamey
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jenny M. Blamey .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Microbiology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, New Delhi, 110021, India

    Tulasi Satyanarayana

  2. , School of Chemistry and Biological Scien, Exeter University, Henry Welcome bldg. Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom

    Jennifer Littlechild

  3. , Functional Genomics of Extremophiles, Kyushu University, Hakozaki 6-10-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

    Yutaka Kawarabayasi

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Flores, P.A., Amenábar, M.J., Blamey, J.M. (2013). Hot Environments from Antarctica: Source of Thermophiles and Hyperthermophiles, with Potential Biotechnological Applications. In: Satyanarayana, T., Littlechild, J., Kawarabayasi, Y. (eds) Thermophilic Microbes in Environmental and Industrial Biotechnology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5899-5_3

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