Exploring research frontiers in microbiology: recent advances in halophilic and thermophilic extremophiles

Extremophilic prokaryotes inhabit ecosystems that are, from a human perspective, extreme, and life in these environments requires far-reaching cellular adaptations. Here, we will describe, for two examples (Thermus thermophilus, Halobacillus halophilus), how thermophilic or halophilic bacteria adapt to their environment; we will describe the molecular basis of sensing and responding to hypersalinity and we will analyze the impact and basis of natural competence for survival in hot environments.