A multi-celled extremophile that can survive in unprecedented temperatures has been found in pools of heated water within Lassen Volcanic National Park in California.
The discovery has potential repercussions in the search for alien life, widening the range of environments that could potentially support complex organisms.
Organisms that can survive in extreme environments are classed as extremophiles. When that extreme environment is related to heat, then the extremophiles are called "thermophiles." The new thermophile found in volcanic waters has been called Incendiamoeba cascadensis, nicknamed the "fire amoeba." It was found able to self-replicate via cell division at a temperature of 63 degrees Celsius (145 degrees Fahrenheit) and was still fully active, albeit no longer reproducing, at 64 degrees C (147 degrees F). Even at 66 degrees C (150.8 degrees F), the amoeba was still partially active, and while it shut down at 70 degrees C (158 degrees F), it was able to recover. However, 80 degrees C (176 degrees F) killed the flame amoeba.
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