Rajgir hot spring lake bacteria are antibacterial.

• Thermophiles, or “heat lovers,” can tolerate temperatures as high as 45 to 70 degrees Celsius, which can cause third-degree burns.

• These bacteria, known as thermophiles, exploit these environments, such as hot springs, deep-sea thermal vents, and compost piles, to produce potent antibiotics.

• Thermophiles from hot springs in Saudi Arabia have been found to produce potent antibiotics against gram-positive pathogenic bacteria.

• Researchers at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) in Tamil Nadu examined the Rajgir hot spring lake in Nalanda district of Bihar, revealing that Actinobacteria, a group of bacteria, made up 40-43% of the microbial diversity at the lake.

• The study was published in the Indian Journal of Microbiology.

• The research was conducted using 16S rRNA metagenomics, a technique that helps identify bacteria accurately.

• The researchers identified seven strains of Actinobacteria that produced potent antimicrobials against several pathogens.

• The researchers also isolated specific antibacterial compounds produced by these bacteria, including diethyl phthalate, which inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogenic bacterium that causes listeriosis.

• Thermophiles have potential applications in industries, including the PCR test and promoting plant growth.