Chemolithoautotrophic Microorganisms—Pioneers of Biospheric Evolution and Sustainable Biotechnology

Dear Colleagues,

Because Earth's evolutionary trajectory unfolded over billions of years, the emergence of primordial life forms represents a crucial aspect of scientific inquiry. Chemolithoautotrophs, potentially Earth's earliest life forms, have emerged as critical model systems for elucidating the primordial mechanisms underlying biogenesis and early biological evolution. These remarkable organisms maintain an unparalleled ecological ubiquity, thriving across habitats that range from terrestrial soils and aquatic ecosystems to extreme environments; this includes deep-sea hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, acid mine drainage systems, and subsurface lithospheric zones.

Their evolutionary success is fundamentally rooted in unique metabolic strategies that drive global biogeochemical cycles, such as carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, hydrogen, metals, and so on. This metabolic versatility positions these microorganisms at the interface of multiple scientific disciplines, from astrobiology and paleogeochemistry to modern ecosystem modeling.

Contemporary research has revealed their extensive biotechnological potential via several groundbreaking discoveries:

(1) The development of bioleaching technologies for sustainable metal recovery;

(2) Innovative approaches to the environmental bioremediation of contaminated sites;

(3) Bioenergy production through microbial fuel cell optimization;

(4) Carbon sequestration strategies that leverage autotrophic carbon fixation pathways;

(5) The production of single-cell proteins.

This Special Issue seeks to compile cutting-edge research that spans the following topics:

- Genomic and phylogenetic investigations of ancient metabolic pathways;

- Novel mechanisms of chemolithotrophic energy conservation;

- Extreme environmental adaptation strategies;

- Microbial–mineral interactions ;

- Industrial applications in circular bioeconomy frameworks;

- The astrobiological implications of the detection of extraterrestrial life.

We welcome contributions that employ multidisciplinary approaches—from molecular phylogenetics and synthetic biology to geochemical analytics and computational modeling—that advance our understanding of these extraordinary microorganisms. Both fundamental research and applied technological innovations will be considered, including studies that associated evolutionary insights with modern biotechnological applications.

Through this collection, we aim to establish new paradigms for understanding life's origins and develop sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges in environmental management, industrial processes, and climate change mitigation.

Dr. Lijing Jiang
Guest Editor

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• chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms
• ancient metabolic pathways
• extreme environmental
• microbial–mineral interactions
• industrial applications
• extraterrestrial life