Sulfolobales: Acidothermophilic archaea as models for biology and biotechnological applications

Engineering Microbiology 2026 Open access

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Authors: Pengju Wu, Qi Gan, Haodun Li, Shikuan Liang, Yunfeng Yang, Shuai Li, Yan Xie, Qihong Huang, Xu Feng, Guanhua Yuan, Jinfeng Ni, Yulong Shen
DOI: 10.1016/j.engmic.2026.100262
Cited by: 2
References: 166

Abstract

Archaea of the order Sulfolobales are the earliest extremophiles discovered. They inhabit acidic terrestrial hot springs worldwide. Since their discovery, these microbes have attracted the attention of scientists studying molecular biology and microbial resources. Their evolutionary closeness to Asgard archaea and eukaryotes, the availability of genetic toolboxes for several species, and unique metabolic pathways make them ideal microbes for studying the biology of archaea and the origin of eukaryotic features, as well as platforms for synthetic biology and potential industrial applications, such as biomass degradation and bioleaching. This review summarizes recent advances in the study of Sulfolobales biology and discusses their biotechnological applications with a specific focus on biomass degradation using obligate heterotrophic Sulfolobales species.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Enzyme Production and Characterization Enzyme Catalysis and Immobilization Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials

Publication details

Journal / source
Engineering Microbiology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
6
Issue
2
Pages
100262–100262
Publication date
11 February 2026
Language
EN