ABSTRACT
Aerobic, chemolithoautotrophic bacteria are a physiological group of microorganisms which share the following properties: they are able to recuperate part of the energy and of the reducing power resulting from the oxidation of a reduced inorganic electron donor. This chapter considers the thermophilic bacteria which can derive energy and reducing power from the oxidation of reduced, inorganic compounds to perform an autotrophic metabolism, with some considerations on methane-oxidizing bacteria. It also considers as well facultative (or moderate) thermophiles with temperature optima of 50 to 55°C, and strict thermophiles, with a temperature optimum ≥60°C. Several types of environments are likely to harbor thermophilic, aerobic chemolithoautotrophs. These thermobiotic environments include self-heated organic compost piles, self-heated leach dumps of sulfide minerals, artificially heated environments like warm water circuits or cooling systems, and, of course, geothermal manifestations.
