unique source material and novel cultural conditions. High concentrations of heavy metals in hydrothermal fluid and sulfide deposits at deep sea vent sites pose the scarcely touched research area of microbial adaptations to commonly toxic concentrations of heavy metals.
As implied by the obvious usefulness of many enzymatic properties of extremophiles, much of the driving force in their study comes from their biotechnological potentials. This present international congress is no exception. It covers a broad area as indicated by the large number and various types of microbes that can be defined as extremophiles, and it reflects an increasing interest in their physiological and genetic capabilities and promising biotechnological applications.
