Experiments: basic research on living systems, not technology.
Also: Taq, PCR, extremozymes
A hot-spring bacterium whose heat-stable DNA-copying enzyme made modern PCR testing practical.
Only what the cited papers report.
Values as stated in the cited paper's abstract.
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Optimum growth temperature | 70 °C | Brock 1969 |
| Maximum growth temperature | 79 °C | Brock 1969 |
| DNA polymerase temperature optimum | 80 °C | Chien 1976 |
| DNA polymerase molecular weight | ~63,000–68,000 | Chien 1976 |
| Amplification of single-copy sequences | >10 million-fold | Saiki 1988 |
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van den Burg reviewed how enzymes from extremophiles, which work under extreme conditions, have led to novel industrial applications.
As reported in: van den Burg (2003). Extremophiles as a source for novel enzymes. Current Opinion in Microbiology. doi:10.1016/S1369-5274(03)00060-2
Abstract only
Brock and Freeze isolated Thermus aquaticus from Yellowstone hot springs; it grows best at 70 °C, up to 79 °C.
As reported in: Brock, Freeze (1969). Thermus aquaticus gen. n. and sp. n., a Nonsporulating Extreme Thermophile. Journal of Bacteriology. doi:10.1128/jb.98.1.289-297.1969
Chien, Edgar and Trela purified a stable DNA polymerase from T. aquaticus with a temperature optimum of 80 °C.
As reported in: Chien, Edgar, Trela (1976). Deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase from the extreme thermophile Thermus aquaticus. Journal of Bacteriology. doi:10.1128/jb.127.3.1550-1557.1976
Saiki and colleagues used the T. aquaticus polymerase in PCR, improving specificity, yield and sensitivity and amplifying single-copy genes more than 10 million-fold.
As reported in: Saiki, Gelfand, Stoffel et al. (1988). Primer-directed enzymatic amplification of DNA with a thermostable DNA polymerase. Science. doi:10.1126/science.239.4839.487
Abstract only