Elucidating the molecular tricks of energy extremophiles

While our modern society is struggling to find new processes for greenhouse gas conversion and biofuel production, microorganisms at the bottom of the ocean have been performing these challenging reactions since billions of years using unique and, so far, mainly undescribed strategies. Beyond understanding the fundamental processes behind these primitive metabolisms, our goal is to discover how these exotic reactions are performed at the molecular level. Unveiling and taming these molecular secrets will open a new landscape for biotechnological application.