Professor:Hanan Issa Malkawi / Professor at Department of Biological Sciences-Yarmouk University-Jordan

Topic:Biotechnological Applications of Microbes Adapted to live in Extreme Environments

Abstract

Microbes are everywhere and they inhabit any environment. Microbes that are capable to tolerate harsh conditions and survive in extreme environments not suitable in supporting life, are called extremophiles. There are several environmental factors that are considered extreme such as temperature, pH, nutrient availability, oxygen levels, osmotic pressure gradients, salinity, radiation, dry conditions, microgravity. Different microbes interact (each in unclear specific mechanisms) with extreme environmental stressors and develop ways to survive them. The properties of those microbes thriving under extreme conditions and their products are of interest in biotechnology which can be used in potential applications to industry, agriculture, health, energy, food security and safety, and many other useful applications. In this presentation, I will talk about the following sub-topics: Different kinds of extreme environments, Classifications of microbes according to extreme environmental conditions, My Research projects of microbial life in extreme environments (such as hot springs, polluted environments, and outer space), Adaptation mechanisms of microbes to thrive under extreme conditions, and Potential useful biotechnological applications of microbes and their products surviving extreme environments

Professor/ Hanan Issa Malkawi (PhD. Microbiology & Molecular Biology)