Editorial: Microbial communities from geothermal fields: recent advances on characterization, interaction with the environment, and potential applications in biotechnology

URBIETA, MARÍA SOFÍA; PANYUSHKINA, ANNA; CUADROS-ORELLANA, SARA; GONZALEZ-TORIL, ELENA; AGUILERA-BAZÁN, ANGELES; BLAMEY, JENNY M.

Frontiers in Microbiology

Frontiers Media

Año: 2023 vol. 14

Geothermal fields are unique habitats that provide a glimpse into the world of extreme environments and the fascinating microbial communities that inhabit them. These communities are known to exhibit wide-ranging adaptations to the harsh conditions they thrive in, high temperatures, low pH, and high concentrations of heavy metals, among others. Recent advances in microbial ecology and genomics have provided a wealth of information on the composition, structure, and function of these communities, revealing a complex web of interactions with their environment. Microbial communities in geothermal environments have caught the interest of the scientific community due to their potential applications in biotechnology, including bioremediation and the production of biofuels and biocatalysts; these applications have their basis in the metabolic and physiological adaptations to the extreme conditions. The articles included in this Research Topic use high-throughput sequencing, metagenomics, and bioinformatic and biostatistics tools to explore the microbial secrets of geothermal fields.