The extreme conditions under which haloarchaea survive make them good bioremediation agents in water treatment processes and in saline and hypersaline environments contaminated with toxic compounds such as nitrate, nitrite and ammonia, chlorine compounds such as perchlorate and chlorate, heavy metals, and aromatic compounds. New advances in the understanding of haloarchaea metabolism, biochemistry, and molecular biology suggest that general biochemical pathways related to nitrogen (Nitrogen cycle), metals (iron, mercury), hydrocarbons, or phenols can be used for bioremediation proposals.
Part of the book: Advances in Bioremediation of Wastewater and Polluted Soil
New advances in the understanding of haloarchaea physiology, metabolism, biochemistry, and molecular biology show that these kinds of microorganisms produce several compounds in response to the extreme conditions of their ecosystems. Thus, the complete metabolic and genetic machineries are fully adapted to nutrient starvation, high sun radiation, and high ionic strength. Due to these adaptations, some of the primary and secondary metabolites produced by haloarchaea are of high interest in terms of potential biotechnological uses. The principal goal of the chapter is to present a review about the main characteristics of these biocompounds and their potential uses in biomedicine, pharmacy, and industry.
Part of the book: Archaea