The discussion presented here points to both the potential as well as the obstacles to work with the extremely thermophilic archaebacteria. The rather unconventional nature of the research in this area requires interdisciplinary expertise covering chemical and biochemical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, ecology, and molecular biology. We have taken this approach at John Hopkins with encouraging results. To bring the application and products of these novel microorganisms to biotechnological fruition, there is a true need for innovation that will draw on the assembled expertises cited above. 85 Refs.