It has been suggested that at higher temperatures, microorganisms may synthesize only a reduced number of proteins essential for growth and other physiological processes [8].
The effect of high temperature on microorganism is severe (Andreoli et al. 2007).
At very low temperatures, membranes solidify and high temperatures damage microorganisms by denaturing enzymes, transport carriers and other proteins thus lowering enzyme activity (Willey et al. 2008).
Since the droppings and exudates of toddy palm during hot summer stimulate the growth of simple sugar fermenting, high temperature (~40 °C) resistant microorganisms (Abdel Fattah et al. 2000), in the present study, yeasts were isolated from fermented nectar of toddy palm.
To make squeeze pouches, baby food companies use a technique called "aseptic processing" which quickly heats foods to a high temperature to kill microorganisms and prevent food borne illnesses like Botulism (Clostridium Botulinum).
Despite the fact that high temperature augments melanin content in microorganisms [14], [16], this cannot be the case in our study because we have grown and maintained all strains at similar temperatures.
Compared to metal recovery using smelting at high temperatures, the bioleaching microorganisms can work at near ambient temperatures and generate few direct contaminants.
However when germ theory became the accepted dogma in medicine, and Louis Pasteur discovered that very high temperatures could kill microorganisms, sterile medical care became the norm.
My research group focuses on understanding how microorganisms living in high temperature environments, considered analogs for places where life first evolved, carry out these reactions and how they compete or collaborate to make the most of these limited resources.
The generation time of microorganisms could be shortened at a high-growable temperature (Plank and Harvey 1979), indicating that high temperature, to some extent, could accelerate the growth of microorganisms.
