Basic Information

Thermus Aquaticus is a Gram Positive bacterium that is classified under a group called thermophiles. Thermophiles are defined as organisms that thrive and reproduce at temperatures that are above 45 Degrees Celsius, or 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Specifically, Thermus Aquaticus optimally thrives and reproduces at 70 degrees celsius or 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

Thermus Aquaticus can reproduce asexually or sexually, meaning it can either reproduce by itself by means of mitosis, or release a spore that will meet with another bacteriums spore to reproduce sexually. Thermus Aquaticus is a chemotroph, which means that it obtains food by means of chemosynthesis, or the biological conversion of one or more molecules of carbon using other molecules which are inorganic.

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History

Thermus Aquaticus was discovered in 1969 at Yellowstone national park. Nobody, not even the discoverers of Thermus Aquaticus, thought that survival of organisms at hyperthermophilic temperatures was possible. Upon further investigation, they found the first of about 50 hyperthermophilic bacteria, Thermus Aquaticus. When investigated even further, it was found that Thermus Aquaticus could survive at almost 190 degrees, shattering thriving temperatures of other bacteria.

In 1983, Kary Mullis decided to mutate two strands of RNA and to attempt to 'hybridize' them. One of the RNA strands used was from Thermus Aquaticus, after doing so, Mullis realised that taking out a strand of RNA from Thermus Aquaticus could be used to copy and replicate other types of primed RNA. The process he invented came to be known as the polymerase chain reaction procedure, which Kary Mullis won the Nobel prize for.

Mullis' discoveries led the way to a mad 'party' of molecular biologists. They realized that using a TaQ Polymerase (found in Thermus Aquaticus) they could skip multiple steps in Mullis' chain procedure. They sold this new version to RMS (Roche Molecular Systems) for $on the lead scientist Kary Donnelson a Nobel Price.

Habitat

Thermus Aquaticus was first discovered in a hot spring at Yellowstone National park, but it has been known to thrive in other places, such as geothermal places, where the earth  hydrothermal vents in the ocean, or places where there is a hole to the earths interior and the water is heated by liquid rock. It also is usually seen in hot springs everywhere, and even in places where the water is almost a boiling 190 degrees!