ISOLATION OF A DEEP-SEA BAROPHILIC BACTERIUM AND SOME OF ITS GROWTH-CHARACTERISTICS

A bacterium, a spirillum, has been isolated from a deep-sea sample and has been found to grow optimally at about 500 bars and 2° to 4°C. These conditions are similar to those prevailing at the 5700-meter depth from which the sample was collected. The organism grows at these pressures and temperatures with a generation time of between 4 and 13 hours; at atmospheric pressure and 2° to 4°C, the generation time is about 3 to 4 days. Copyright © 1979 AAAS.