Scientists from Syracuse University in the United States have discovered that in the volcanic lakes of California's Lassen Nature Reserve there is a previously unknown microscopic organism that can feel comfortable in boiling liquid. About this report “Komsomolskaya Pravda” references Nature magazine.
This microorganism is called the “Cascade Mountains fire amoeba”. The discovery of this species was a major event in the scientific community – previously scientists believed that only organisms without a nucleus could survive in such conditions, but the fire amoeba belongs to the eukaryotic class.
It should be noted that the organism will enter a state of suspended activity if the temperature falls below 42C°. The best environment for life is 63°C and amoebas only die at 80°C. The study's lead author, microbiologist Beryl Rappaport, said the fire amoeba was found in “the most common stream on the reserve.” According to him, this discovery can help learn more about the origin of life both on Earth and on other planets.
This finding was commented on by Andrei Zhuravlev, Doctor of Science and Professor of the Department of Evolutionary Biology at Moscow State University. According to him, the unique abilities of the fire amoeba are somewhat reminiscent of humans.
“Our proteins are somewhat suited to survive in “hot factories” – after all, it was in such conditions that life arose. <...> The new amoeba species are interesting not just because of their breathtakingly long pseudopods. They belong to a group of organisms that are not distantly related to us – amoebas,” he said.
