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Research has been conducted on the bacterial sulfur mats from sulfide-rich hot springs. The cloning and sequencing of the rRNA genes in investigating microbial diversity of one sulfur mat hot spring is described.

An extracellular endo-beta-1,4-glucanase purified from Rhodothermus marinus is the most thermostable endocellulase that retains 50% of its activity after 3.5 hrs at 100 degree celsius and 80% after 16 hrs at 90 degree celsius. It is active on carboxymethyl cellulose, the hydrolysis products of which are glucose, cellobiose, cellotriose, cellopentaose mixture and oligosaccharides. This indicates that the cellular polymer is attacked by the enzyme in a random manner. The enzyme also shows glucosyltransferase activity.

The microbial diversity of intertidal hot springs on the seashore of northwest Iceland was examined by combining directed in situ enrichments, artificial support colonization, and mat sampling. Analysis of 16S rRNA genes revealed the presence of clones related to both marine and terrestrial, thermophilic, mesophilic, and psychrophilic microorganisms scattered among 11 bacterial divisions.