] The upper temperature limit at which life can exist has ] been extended to 121°C, 8°C higher than the previous ] record holder. The hardy organism, given the preliminary ] name Strain 121, was found at a "black smoker" ] hydrothermal vent on the floor of the northeast Pacific ] Ocean. This is cool. Its amazing to think that there is an organism out there whose DNA doesn't degrade at such temperatures, and whos proteins stay folded correctly. It will be neat to see what comes out of this research, as proteins found in organisms such as this can be put to use creatively in biotech. New Scientist |