Physico-chemical boundaries of life (Helga Stan-Lotter) -- Microbial diversity in Deep Hypersaline Anoxic Basins (Francesca Mapelli, Sara Borin, Daniele Daffonchio) -- Microbial speciation in the geothermal ecosystem (Gudmundur Oli Hreggvidsson, Solveig K. Petursdottir, Snaedis H. Björnsdottir, Olafur H. Fridjonsson) -- Bacterial adaptation to hot and dry deserts (Thierry Heulin, Gilles De Luca, Mohamed Barakat, Arjan de Groot, Laurence Blanchard, Philippe Ortet, Wafa Achouak) -- Extremophiles in Antarctica; life at low temperatures (David A. Pearce) -- Anhydrobiotic rock-inhabiting cyanobacteria: Potential for astrobiology and biotechnology (Daniela Billi) -- Psychrophilic microorganisms as important source for biotechnological processes (Sergiu Fendrihan, Teodor G. Negoiţă) -- Halophilic microorganisms from man-made and natural hypersaline environments: physiology, ecology and biotechnological potential (Madalin Enache, Gabriela Popescu, Takashi Itoh, Masahiro Kamekura) -- Applications of Extremophiles in Astrobiology: Habitability and Life Detection Strategies (Felipe Gómez, Víctor Parro) -- Extremophiles in spacecraft assembly clean rooms (Christine Moissl-Eichinger).

Once considered exceptional rarities, extremophiles have become attractive objects for basic and applied research ranging from nanotechnology to biodiversity to the origins of life and even to the search for extraterrestrial life. Several novel aspects of extremophiles are covered in this book; the focus is firstly on unusual and less explored ecosystems such as marine hypersaline deeps, extreme cold, desert sands, and man-made clean rooms for spacecraft assembly. Secondly, the increasingly complex field of applications from extremophile research is treated and examples such as novel psychrophilic enzymes, compounds from halophiles, and detection strategies for potential extraterrestrial life forms are presented.