Thermoplasma acidophilum

Thermoplasma acidophilum is an archaeon, the type species of its genus. T. acidophilum was originally isolated from a self-heating coal refuse pile, at pH 2 and 59 °C. Its genome has been sequenced.

It is highly flagellated and grows optimally at 56 °C and pH 1.8. The size of a cell is about 1 μm. T. acidophilum lacks a cell wall and the cell membrane is exposed directly outside. T. acidophilum shows various cell shapes depending upon growth conditions and stages.

The full genome of Thermoplasma acidophilum has been sequenced. It is only 1565 kb in size.