Every year VAAM selects one microbe to draw attention to the diversity of the microbiological world.

In 2021 it's the Methanothermobacter, a microbe playing a crucial role in the research of Simon Rittmann and  his Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, have have published two articles in BIOspektrum on the topic.

Thank you for the insights!

*** A brief overview of the current state of Archaea Biotechnology ***

Archaea are prokaryotic organisms with highly interesting physiological features. They have also shown potential for the production of biotechnological compounds. Today, the commercially available products of archaea are bacterioruberin, squalene, bacteriorhodopsin, and lipids — all of which are produced by utilizing halophilic archaea. Other products include carotenoids, bioplastics, molecular hydrogen, and methane... [read the article]

Rittmann SK, Pfeifer K, Palabikyan H, Ergal I, Schuster B (2021) Archaea in der Biotechnologie. Biospektrum 27, 96–98. DOI: 10.1007/s12268-021-1514-8.

Rittmann SK, Seifert AH, Krajete A (2014) Biomethanisierung — ein Prozess zur Ermöglichung der Energiewende? Biospektrum 20, 816-817. DOI: 10.1007/s12268-014-0521-3.