Dietary Debates

[Randy]

@T_aquaticus

T. aquaticus is the short name for the bacterial species Thermos aquaticus that is known for living in near boiling hot springs. This species is near and dear to the hearts of molecular biologists because we regularly use modified versions of its DNA polymerase to make copies of DNA in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Its polymerase is able to withstand prolonged exposure to near boiling temperatures which makes it useful for many reactions in molecular biology.

Thanks for making that connection for me! I should have guessed. My last PCR experiment was in undergrad. That is very cool.