Genomic and Metagenomic Prospecting of Extremophiles to Support Sustainable Development

Extremophiles can thrive in extreme environments, including deep-sea hydrothermal vents, hot springs, volcanic fields, deserts, and high salt places. The prime reasons for such survival capabilities are the presence of unique enzymes, proteins, and biomolecules, which can function in extreme physical conditions like high temperature, pH, high salinity, and ultra-violet irradiation. The “extremozymes” isolated from extremophiles have significant industrial importance globally. However, we are still not able to culture and analyse extremophiles in normal laboratory conditions as routine practices. The advent of DNA sequencing technology and advanced genomics methods have solved these problems and accelerated the pace of analysis of extremophiles. Next-generation sequencing provides high-throughput genomic data and is useful in genome microbial analysis of extremophiles. Whole-genome sequencing is favoured in comparative genomics and led to an improved understanding of extremophiles for sustainable agriculture and environments. In the current chapter, we have discussed the genomic and metagenomic prospecting of extremophiles to support sustainable development.