MICRO-C-OMICS-23: Some Like it Salty (new scene)

(could not resist not to make another scene again :) ) While some microorganisms prefer living in freshwater some prefer to live at extremes.Todays example is about halophilic ( salt-loving) bacteria . These bacteria flourish at 5-30 % salt concentrations ( to give you a sense of it, salt concentration in a typical seawater is around 3.5 % ). Where are these high salt concentrated places? They can be found in crystallizer ponds from solar salterns (i.e. salt making facility), deep sea brines and natural salt lakes like the Great Salt Lake in Utah or Dead Sea in the Middle East. These salt-crazy bacteria, as fascinating as they are themselves, are also valuable in biotechnological applications from bioplastic production, bioremediation to cosmetics. And of course, learning about these bacteria is also important for searching life in other planets.

#microcomics