Biotechnological Applications of Extremophile Bacteriophages

Dear Colleagues,

Viruses inhabiting extreme environments represent a vast and largely untapped reservoir of molecular diversity with significant biotechnological potential. While bacteriophages from mesophilic systems have been extensively studied, extremophile phages—originating from geothermal springs, deep-sea vents, hypersaline ecosystems, and polar regions—remain underexplored, particularly in the context of applied sciences.

These viruses have evolved unique structural and functional adaptations that enable stability and activity under extreme physicochemical conditions, including high temperature, pressure, salinity, or radiation. Such adaptations make extremophilic bacteriophages a valuable source of robust biomolecules. Thermostable enzymes derived from these systems—such as DNA polymerases, ligases, nucleases, and endolysins—are increasingly exploited in molecular diagnostics, synthetic biology, and industrial biotechnology. In addition, extremophile phages provide innovative platforms for the development of advanced technologies, including phage display systems, engineered nanostructures, and stable viral scaffolds for biomolecular conjugation.

Recent advances in metagenomics, single-virus genomics, structural biology, and protein engineering have accelerated the discovery and functional characterization of these viruses. Importantly, these approaches enable not only the identification of novel viral diversity but also the rational design of phage-based tools tailored for biotechnological applications.

This Special Issue focuses on bridging fundamental virology with applied research by highlighting the translational potential of extremophilic bacteriophages. We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to:

• Discovery and functional characterization of extremophile bacteriophages with biotechnological relevance;
• Structural and biochemical properties of extremophile viral proteins with industrial or biomedical applications;
• Development of molecular tools based on extremophilic phage systems (e.g., display platforms, enzymatic systems);
• Synthetic biology and engineering of phage-derived components;
• Virus–host systems as models for robust biological processes under extreme conditions;
• Metagenomic and bioinformatic approaches enabling discovery of novel functional elements.

By emphasizing the intersection of environmental virology and biotechnology, this Special Issue aims to showcase extremophilic bacteriophages as a powerful resource for innovation in molecular biology, bioengineering, and applied life sciences, as well as deepening understanding of microbial ecology, evolution, host–bacteriophage interactions, and structural biology.

Prof. Dr. Piotr Skowron
Guest Editor

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