Engineered Extremophiles for Bio-Based Production in Harsh Industrial Environments

Chukwudi Anthony Ugwuanyi

Department of Applied Microbiology Ebonyi State University Nigeria

Email:ugwuanyitony@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Extremophiles, microorganisms that thrive under extreme environmental conditions, represent a powerful yet underexploited resource for advancing industrial biotechnology. Their unique metabolic and physiological adaptations allow survival in high temperature, pressure, salinity, or acidity, making them ideal candidates for processes that exceed the tolerance limits of conventional microbial hosts. Advances in genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and systems biology have enabled the tailoring of extremophiles into robust chassis organisms for the sustainable production of biofuels, bioplastics, enzymes, and other bioproducts under harsh industrial conditions. This review highlights the classification, significance, and engineering strategies of extremophiles, with a focus on genetic modification approaches such as CRISPR-Cas systems, adaptive evolution, and genome-scale metabolic modeling. Case studies demonstrate successful applications in biofuel production, biodegradable plastic synthesis, and agricultural resilience. Despite promising progress, challenges remain, including difficulties in genetic manipulation, limited understanding of extremophile biology, and the high cost of scale-up. Addressing these barriers through interdisciplinary research and technological innovation could position engineered extremophiles as central players in green chemistry, climate resilience, and the circular bioeconomy.

Keywords: Extremophiles, Industrial Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering, Synthetic Biology and Biofuels and Bioproducts.

CITE AS: Chukwudi Anthony Ugwuanyi (2025). Engineered Extremophiles for Bio-Based Production in Harsh Industrial Environments. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL   AND APPLIED SCIENCES, 6(2): 74-83. https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJBAS/2025/6.2.748300