Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius

The species name thermoglucosidasius comes from the words therme denoting heat, and glucosidasius denoting starch-hydrolyzing glucosidase activity.

Biology and biochemistry

G. thermoglucosidasius is gram-positive (bacterium that retains Crystal violet dye during gram-staining) and facultatively anaerobic(produces ATP by aerobic respiration if oxygen is present, but capable of switching to fermentation or anaerobic respiration if oxygen is absent). G. thermoglucosidasius is classified as a thermophile as optimal growth occurs at 60 °C (140 °F), although strains have demonstrated ability to grow at temperatures between 37 °C (98.6 °F) and 68 °C (154.4 °F).

Their rod-shaped cells are less than 3.0 micrometers (μm) long and less than 0.9 μm in diameter. Under a microscope, the cells are observed to occur either singly or in short chains, while possessing peritrichous fagella for motility or appearing non-motile.

Vegetative G. thermoglucosidasius sporulates, producing one endospore per cell located terminally or subterminally in slightly swollen or non-swollen sporangia. It can live on a wide variety of substrates. G. thermoglucosidasius uses mixed-acid fermentation in anaerobic conditions, producing lactate, succinate, formate, ethanol, acetate and carbon dioxide. Growth can be driven by aerobic or anaerobic respiration, using a large variety of redox pairs.