Psychrophiles: From Biodiversity to Biotechnology

The majority of the Earth's biosphere is cold and exposed to temperatures below 5[degree]C throughout the year. Having evolved special mechanisms to overcome the life-endangering influence of low temperatures, psychrophiles, i.e. cold-adapted microorganisms, have successfully colonized these environments. Cold adaptation includes a complex range of structural and functional adaptations at the level of all cellular constituents, and these adaptations render cold-adapted organisms particularl...