Archaeal Secrets Unveiled: Applications of Haloalkaliphilic Archaea in Biomedicine and Energy

This book highlights three studies conducted in the field of microbiology and biotechnology. The first study focuses on El-Hamra Lake in Wadi El-Natrun, where water and sediment samples were chemically analyzed, and microbial isolates were obtained and characterized. Specific primers were used to differentiate between archaeal and non-archaeal isolates. The study also investigated the ability of haloarchaeal isolates to produce hydrolases and biosurfactants, while evaluating their growth characteristics under different conditions. The findings provide valuable insights into the chemical composition and microbial diversity of El-Hamra Lake, as well as the potential industrial applications of biosurfactant-producing archaeal isolates.
The second study focuses on maximizing pigment production by Natrialba sp. and analyzing the properties and biological activities of the produced biosurfactant and pigment. The pigment extract was analyzed using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy, confirming the presence of specific compounds and orange carotenoids. The pigment extract exhibited higher selectivity towards cancer cells compared to chemotherapy and biosurfactant, inducing apoptosis and showing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Additionally, both the pigment and biosurfactant extracts demonstrated anti-biofouling activity. These results highlight the potential applications of Natrialba sp. biosurfactant and pigment extract in various fields, including anticancer treatments.
The third study focuses on using the archaeon Natrialba sp. as a biocatalyst for electricity generation in microbial fuel cells. The researchers optimized multiple factors using a Plackett-Burman experimental design and identified casein, inoculum age, and resistor value as positive factors for electricity production, while the presence of a mediator and pH value had negative effects. The optimized design resulted in a ten-fold reduction in incubation time and achieved a maximum production of 200 mV in just 2 days. Stacked microbial fuel cells were also tested, with the series configuration proving to be the most effective for increasing power production.