When people think of bacteria they think of microorganisms that are growing in warm moist places, but what if the bacteria was in a near freezing environment, would it survive? The bacteria that do are a group of extreme bacteria called Psychropliles(cold loving bacteria). Cold environments are actually more prominent in the world than hot environments are. Oceans make up half of earth surface and they are consistently at a temperature of one to three degrees Celsius. Also there is Antarctica and the artic which are frozen year round. This is why the idea of psychrophiles is interesting. A huge area of our Earth that was once thought unable to grow any micro bacterial life is now showing that it can.

One organism that has been studied is actually a common soil micro flagellate that has properties that allow it to adapt to cold environments. This, Heteromita globosa, was found in what is call the Antarctica fell fields which is characterized as very harsh and it change greatly often. These fluctuate so much that the temperature will go from freezing to around twenty degree Celsius. This can survive because it uses rapid and temperature-sensitive encystment and excystment and by using all of the resources it possibly can at any opportunity it gets. These procedures allow it grow actively at temperature close to freezing.

Not only have scientists studied bacteria in cold environments but they have also look for bacteria in artic sea-ice. Some NASA scientists in hopes of finding bacteria that can live on other planets have drilled deep within the core of the ice and taken samples that is up to 400,000 years old. They found two bacteria, not much is known about these ancient psychrophiles but the do have names. These two are called Klingon and Mickey Mouse due to their shapes.

These are not the only bacteria found in the ice though. One bacteria obtained by Scientist James T. Staley is called Polaromonas vacuolata. This is an excellent representative of psychrophiles. It grows best at four degrees Celsius and cannot reproduce above twelve degrees Celsius. This and many other psychrophiles, such as the E. antarticus, which is unable to survive above seven-teen degree Celsius, and ciliate Holosticha sp. which cannot grow above two degrees Celsius, are being looked at by manufacturers so that their enzymes can be harvested to work at refrigerated temperatures. Some food companies may be interested in them so reactions can occur without spoiling the food or fragrance makers may be interested in them so that their product doesn't evaporate when reactions occur.

Psychrophiles are being found every day now in, on and around ice and cold environments. There is no telling where they will turn up or where they will take us. For all we know they could lead us to life on other planets. Whether it be the bacteria found to give snow its color (Chlamydomonas nivalis), or some bacteria found on the north pole, psychrophiles are all around us, and with the speed at which technology is moving they will be a great help to may industries for a time to come.