The Biocatalytic Potential of Extremozymes Isolated from Extremophiles

In the past decade, major strategies for broadening the variety of uses for extremozymes have arisen. Both the discovery of novel extremophiles and the genomic information provide a route to the discovery of new enzymes, with the possibility of new applications. Extremozymes and extremolytes, which are produced by microorganisms that live in harsh environments, have the potential to be useful resources for the advancement of a bio-based economy through their use in white, red, and gray biotechnologies. Here, we give a general introduction of extremophile ecology and discuss some of the most recent biotechnological uses for microbial extremophiles, the extremozymes they produce, and the extremolytes they create.