Methylacidiphilum_infernorum
Methylacidiphilum infernorum
Species of bacterium
Methylacidiphilum infernorum is an extremely acidophilic methanotrophic aerobic bacteria first isolated and described in 2007 growing on soil and sediment on Hell's Gate, New Zealand.[1][2][3] Similar organisms have also been isolated from geothermal sites on Italy and Russia.
A polyextremophile, these non-motile rods grows optimally at pH between 2.0 and 2.5 and temperature of 60 °C. It is a methanotrophic obligated bacteria that grows at 25% (v/v) of methane in air. It is also very dependent on carbon dioxide concentrations to grow, optimally at 8% (v/v) CO2 in air.[1]
Due to its classification in the phylum Verrucomicrobiota and its extreme acidophilic phenotype M. infernorum is unique between all known methanotrophs.[1]