One of the Oldest Organisms on Earth Thrives in Yellowstone’s Scalding Hydrothermal Features

The most dangerous thing in Yellowstone National Park isn’t bears, bison, wolves, or cougars — it’s thousands of hydrothermal features. These beautiful yet deadly features are scattered around the park and are responsible for multiple human injuries and even deaths every year.

One would imagine that nothing could survive these seemingly uninhabitable locations. But there is one organism that calls these hydrothermal features home. Recent coverage from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory offers a look at these unique beings, known as thermophiles, and discusses how they may hold the key to the future of agriculture and beyond.

“These heat-loving cyanobacteria are far more than Yellowstone curiosities — they are living blueprints of resilience,” said Tanvi Govil, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at South Dakota Mines, in the news release. “By learning from organisms that thrive in extremes, we are opening pathways to technologies that could help build a more sustainable and adaptable future.”

Organisms Surviving Extreme Heat

Thermophiles, literally meaning “heat lovers,” are organisms that prefer high-temperature environments and can include archaea, bacteria, or fungi. These organisms can live in temperatures as high as 122 degrees Celsius (about 250 degrees Fahrenheit) thanks to the unique structure of their proteins and lipids. They are also billions of years old, with thermophiles being one of the earliest organisms to evolve on Earth and create the conditions necessary for other life to exist.

Over the years, Yellowstone’s thermophiles have been the focus of study for many researchers. Their unique structures can be used to learn more about how organisms survive in extreme environments and how we might be able to replicate these processes for humans.

In 1966, the discovery of a particular Yellowstone thermophile — Thermus aquaticus — led to the development of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. PCR testing was a revolutionary discovery that led to a Nobel Prize in chemistry and is still used today in medicine, genome mapping, and forensic science. It also may sound familiar to you, as PCR tests became a household product after the rise of viruses like COVID-19.

Recent Research on Thermophiles

Today, thermophiles are being studied in the context of sustainability. Nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria helps them grow without needing nitrogen fertilizers because the fixed nitrogen is used to build proteins, nucleic acids, and other essential cell components — this supports biomass production, which can then be converted into biofuels.

Even though your everyday plant may be capable of the same process of photosynthesis, the special quality of cyanobacteria is that they can effectively perform this process in areas of extreme heat. It is this process that gives many of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal features their mesmerizing green color that lures innocent passersby into receiving second- or third-degree burns.

Beyond sustainable agriculture, projects are currently underway to use a better understanding of thermophiles to create advancements in biofuels, bioplastics, pharmaceuticals, and genetics.

In fact, it is estimated that a quarter of all research being done in Yellowstone is related to its thermophiles.

Although we may use them to marvel at the beauty of our surroundings and escape the chaos of city life, national parks continue to be at the forefront of scientific inquiry and groundbreaking discoveries that actively improve the world around us.

This article has been updated by the Discover staff, correcting a reference to cyanobacteria.

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