Psychrophiles have antifreeze enzymes called exopolymers, also known as  organic goop, which allow them to live at extremely cold temperatures.  This organic goop is like a mucous that surrounds the organism keeping them in a fluid enviorment and protecting them from freezing and against ice crystal damage of their cell walls.   Few people actually realize that 20 percent of our own planet is frozen.  This provides a niche for the psychrophilic organisms to thrive.  Up until the last 20 years, there was some doubt as to whether these organisms actually existed.  Now though, there are ongoing research projects in the artic area studying the behavior of cold-adapted bacteria, their enzymes, exopolymers, and even viruses in seeply frozen sea ice.  With the much debated threat of global climate warming, this niche of psyrchrophiles could face extinction.  Researchers are striving to learn their secrets for success and survival in this region. Because there are so many practical  applications for psychrophiles, there is a lot of research on the psychrophiles being done.  There is work on creating a genetic database for all the psychrophiles that are known to date.

 

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