Where life grows at boiling temperatures

While temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius make people uncomfortable, many organism organisms can thrive in boiling waters on the crater.

According to the BBC, Uzon volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula, Russia is one of the most harsh areas on Earth. This volcano is located in the Pacific belt and is very active. Currently, the crater is surrounded by mountains. Inside the crater is hundreds of hot springs, geysers and mud.

Uzon is very dangerous to humans but it is a suitable place for some bacteria. In September 2005, 20 Russian and American scientists went to Uzon to study life here.

Inside the Uzon crater.(Photo: Arco Images GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo).

"Temperatures near or at the boiling point destroy proteins, lipids and ripen ordinary biological materials , " said Frank Robb, a researcher from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA.

In addition to high heat levels, Uzon species must also adapt to harsh environments. Some areas are highly acidic with a pH close to 2. Meanwhile, many other places are highly alkaline (pH is approximately 10.5). The water here can be very salty and in many places rich in potassium, acid boric, silicon acid and sulfate. Even high temperatures cause oxygen to dissolve in water.

The harsh living conditions are not suitable for complex creatures. Most organisms that thrive in extremely hot environments are single-celled or ancient bacteria. These are the simplest and oldest forms of life.

Researchers collected and analyzed the DNA of bacteria living in the Uzon volcano. They found many species of bacteria, including new species. For example, Desulfurella acetivorans bacteria thrive at 58 degrees C, eat organic acetate compounds and get energy from sulfur in the lake. The ancient bacterium Thermoproteus uzoniensis lives mainly in hot springs, mud pits, soil in Uzon volcano or geysers. This rod-shaped bacterium feeds on peptides and uses energy from the desulfurization process.

Uzon volcano works very hard.(Photo: Igor Shpilenok / naturepl.com).

Besides, the team also found Acidilobus aceticus living in acidic water area with high temperature (92 degrees C). They eat fermented starch and also use sulfur energy. But this does not mean that bacteria need only sulfur to breathe. They exist because of many other volcanic materials such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, iron and nitrate.

Bourlyashchy is the largest and hottest lake in Uzon with temperatures up to 97 degrees C. This is also the highest temperature environment studied to find signs of life. Recently, scientists discovered many bacteria living in the lake.

Normally, when the temperature is higher than 50 degrees Celsius, the lipid membrane covering the cell will be broken because the ester bond between the fat no longer exists. But some bacterial species have very strong ester bonds, so they can live in a high heat environment.

The heat sprayed from the cracks and water circuits.(Photo: Igor Shpilenok / naturepl.com).

Proteins and enzymes are also denatured and break when exposed to high heat. However, protein in heat-resistant bacteria has a denser density than normal, and in the protein structure there are more bonds between the parts so it is more stable and difficult to break.

Several years ago, researchers found that P. fumarii in the Atlantic Ocean could live at a temperature of 113 degrees Celsius. Later, another group of scientists found a species of bacteria that could survive in heat. At 122 degrees Celsius, a new species of bacteria called Strain 121 in the Pacific is now thriving at 121 degrees Celsius. Scientists say it can survive at 130 degrees Celsius for two hours. However, this finding is still controversial.

Enzymes from these high-temperature bacteria can bring benefits to the oil, chemical, paper, pulp and detergent industries, and even the field of forensic science. More importantly, studies of these bacteria can provide information about the origin and evolution of life on Earth.