Isolation and Cultivation of Alkaliphiles

Abstract

Alkaliphilic microorganisms are ubiquitous and inhabit various econiches on Earth. Alkaline environments suitable for alkaliphilic microbial communities may be created by certain geological processes or human activities. Moreover, a significant contribution to the emergence of alkaline conditions may be due to the activity of neutralophilic microorganisms through certain reactions, which explains the widespread distribution of alkaliphiles. Alkaliphilic microorganisms are part of extremophiles and become interesting and useful in environmental and industrial microbiology. With increasing knowledge of alkaliphiles, we greatly increase their biotechnological and industrial application potential. New microorganisms from natural habitats serve as a practically endless source of new enzymes. This chapter summarizes the scattered data on alkaliphiles isolated from habitats other than soda lakes. The conditions for occurrence of alkaline habitats are also considered. Moreover, the chapter reviews some important features on preparation of media for the isolation and cultivation of alkaliphiles. The chapter also includes relevant information on chromatographic analysis of alkaliphiles culture. Graphical Abstract.

Keywords: Alkaline environments; Alkaliphiles; Alkaliphilic eukaryotes; Chromatography; Extremophiles; Isolation of alkaliphiles; Microbial communities.