Osmophile
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In biology, osmophillic organisms are extremophiles that are able to grow in the same manner as halophillic (salt-loving) organisms because both environments tend to have low water activities (aW). High sugar concentrations represent a growth-limiting factor for many micro-organisms, yet osmophiles protect themselves against this high osmotic pressure by the synthesis of compatible solutes such as alcohols and amino acids. Nearly all osmophillic micro-organisms fall under the yeast genus.
Osmophile yeasts are important because they cause spoilage in the sugar and sweet goods industry, with products such as fruit juices, fruit juice concentrates, liquid sugars (such as golden syrup), honey and in some cases marzipan and shoe polish.
Among the most osmophillic are:
| Organism | Minimum aW |
|---|---|
| Saccharomyces rouxii | 0.62 |
| Saccharomyces bailii | 0.80 |
| Debaryomyces | 0.83 |
| Saccharomyces Cerevisiae | 0.90 |
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Categories |
Acidophile • Alkaliphile • Barophile • Capnophile • Endolith • Halophile • Hyperthermophile • Hypolith • Lithoautotroph • Lithophile • Oligotroph • Osmophile • Piezophile • Polyextremophile • Psychrophile • Thermophile • Xerophile • |
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Notable extremophiles |
Chloroflexus aurantiacus • Deinococcus radiodurans • Deinococcus-Thermus • Paralvinella sulfincola • Pompeii worm • Pyrococcus furiosus • Snottite • Strain 121 • Thermus aquaticus • Thermus thermophilus • |
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Related articles |
Archaea • Abiogenic petroleum origin • Acidithiobacillales • Acidobacteria • Archaeoglobaceae • Berkeley Pit • Crenarchaeota • Grylloblattidae • Halobacteria • Halobacterium • Hydrothermal vent • Methanopyrus • Radioresistance • Thermostability • Thermotogae • |
