An extremotroph (from Latin meaning "extreme" and Greek () meaning "food") is an organism that feeds on matter that is not typically considered to be food to most life on Earth. Its definition is anthropocentric.
Extremophily and extremotrophy focus on a single environmental extreme but many extremophiles may fall into multiple categories, for example, organisms living inside hot rocks deep under the Earth's surface.Horikoshi, Koki (2010) Extremophiles Handbook, pg. 5
Examples Pestalotiopsis microspora: plastic eater Halomonas titanicae: metal eaterNew Bacteria Found on Titanic; Eats Metal Geotrichum candidum: compact disk eaterFungus eats CD : Nature News Aspergillus fumigatus: printed circuit board eaterKirksey, Kirk (2005) Computer Factoids: Tales from the High-Tech Underbelly, pg. 74 Deinococcus radiodurans: radioactive waste eater Actinobacteria from arid and desert habitats Cold-tolerant cyanobacteria found in polar ice shelves
Industrial uses Extremotrophs are used as bioremediation and biodegradation agents.
See also
Chemotroph Extremophile Heterotroph Lithoautotroph
References