Isolation and Identification of Thermophiles Bacteria from one of the Hottest Places on the Planet (Lut Desert, Iran) and Measuring their Enzyme Activities

Researchers isolated and identified thermophilic bacteria, specifically Bacillus licheniformis, from the Lut Desert, one of the hottest regions on Earth. This bacterium exhibited significant extracellular enzyme activity, producing up to 17.5 units per milliliter of cellulase after 72 hours at a pH of 8, with protease production also peaking under alkaline conditions. Notably, the bacterium demonstrated high asparaginase and lipase activities—4 and 19 enzyme units per milliliter, respectively—at 55°C and pH 8. These findings highlight the potential of Bacillus licheniformis from the Gandome Beryan area as a valuable source of heat-resistant enzymes for industrial applications. The study employed ribotyping for molecular identification and standard methods to measure enzyme activities.

Shahsavari, N., Kafilzadeh, F., & Kargar, M. (2021). Isolation and Identification of Thermophiles Bacteria from one of the Hottest Places on the Planet (Lut Desert, Iran) and Measuring their Enzyme Activities. Geomicrobiology Journal, 38(10), 850–858. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2021.1964113