Extreme bacteria named for Otago man

University of Otago microbiologist Prof Greg Cook yesterday reflects on extremophile bacteria that bear his name. Photo by Craig Baxter.

One of the toughest microorganisms on the planet has just been named after University of Otago microbiologist Prof Greg Cook.

"It's a great honour and it means a lot to me," he said yesterday.

The bacterial species concerned - Amphibacillus cookii sp. nov.- flourishes in the hot and highly salty environment of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, in the United States.

Such bacteria flourish at high temperatures, such as about 40degC, but can also survive temperatures of up to 70degC in its seemingly hostile surroundings, by forming spores which are virtually indestructible.

"They love it in these conditions.

"That's what's remarkable about this organism," he said.

These highly resilient bacteria were great survivors, having already existed for two to three billion years, and were effectively immortal.

Some bacterial spores had been found which were 40 million years old, and still capable of producing life.

Prof Cook, of the Otago microbiology and immunology department, wrote his PhD on hardy microorganisms found in hot pools at Rotorua, and has written more than 100 research papers on extremophiles, microorganisms that thrive in extreme conditions.

Prof Cook said he found it particularly satisfying that the Utah organism had been named by US-based Prof Juergen Wiegel, of the University of Georgia, a legendary pioneer in extremophile research, who has travelled the world finding and studying microorganisms in many extreme environments.

These include hot pools at Rotorua, and a hot volcanic spring at Kamchatka, in far east Russia.

Prof Cook, who was a doctoral student at Waikato University's Centre for Extremophile Research, in Hamilton, in 1989, has vivid memories of first meeting German-born Prof Wiegel that year and arranging car transport for him to Rotorua's hot pools, during a visit to the centre.

Prof Cook said the Utah microorganism could provide insights into the origins of life in early extreme conditions on Earth.

The bacteria could also provide a glimpse of what kind of organisms might still exist in the harsh environment on Mars, he said.

john.gibb@odt.co.nz