extremotroph
{{Short description|Organisms that feed on matter not typically considered food}}
An extremotroph (from Latin {{lang|la|extremus}} meaning "extreme" and Greek {{lang|grc-Latn|troph}} ({{lang|grc|τροφ}}) meaning "food") is an organism that feeds on matter that is not typically considered to be food to most life on Earth. "These anthropocentric definitions that we make of extremophily and extremotrophy focus on a single environmental extreme but many extremophiles may fall into multiple categories, for example, organisms living inside hot rocks deep under the Earth's surface."Horikoshi, Koki (2010) Extremophiles Handbook, pg. 5
Examples
- Pestalotiopsis microspora: plastic eater
- Halomonas titanicae: metal eater [https://web.archive.org/web/20101212223033/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/12/101210-new-species-bacteria-metal-titanic-wreck-science/ New Bacteria Found on Titanic; Eats Metal]
- Geotrichum candidum: compact disk eater [http://www.nature.com/news/2001/010627/full/news010628-11.html Fungus eats CD : Nature News]
- Aspergillus fumigatus: printed circuit board eater Kirksey, Kirk (2005) Computer Factoids: Tales from the High-Tech Underbelly, pg. 74
- Deinococcus radiodurans: radioactive waste eater
- Actinobacteria from arid and desert habitats {{cite journal |last1=Wink |first1=Joachim |last2=Mohammadipanah |first2=Fatemeh |title=Actinobacteria from Arid and Desert Habitats: Diversity and Biological Activity |journal=Frontiers in Microbiology |date=2016 |volume=6 |pages=1541 |doi=10.3389/fmicb.2015.01541 |pmid=26858692 |pmc=4729944 |language=English |issn=1664-302X|doi-access=free }}
- Cold-tolerant cyanobacteria found in polar ice shelves {{cite journal |last1=Mueller |first1=Derek |last2=Vincent |first2=Warwick |last3=Bonilla |first3=Sylvia |last4=Laurion |first4=Isabelle |title=Extremotrophs, extremophiles and broadband pigmentation strategies in a high arctic ice shelf ecosystem |journal=Microbiology Ecology |date=1 June 2005 |volume=53 |issue=1 |pages=73–87 |doi=10.1016/j.femsec.2004.11.001|pmid=16329931 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2005FEMME..53...73M }}
Industrial uses
Extremotrophs are used as bioremediation and biodegradation agents.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}