Bitechnology and gentics of extreme thermophilic bacteria

We use the extreme thermophilic bacteria Thermus thermophilus (Tth) as our main laboratory model. Unlike any other extreme thermophile, Tth grows fast at 70 ºC on LB-like medium, forms colonies on plates, and shows a very efficient natural competence system. The greater ability to crystallize of its enzymes compared to their mesophilic counterparts and its ancient phylogenetic origin gives high biological and evolutionary interest to this model.