Most heat tolerant organism (water based)
- Who
- Strain 121
- What
- 121 degree(s) Celsius
- Where
- Pacific Ocean,
- When
- 23 September 2003
The most heat-resistant organism discovered to date is strain 121, a microbe belonging to the ancient group of bacteria-like organisms called archaeans. Strain 121 was discovered in superheated water from hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. This organism can survive temperatures of 121°C (249.8°F).
Strain 121 was discovered by Dr Kazem Kashefi and Dr Derek R Lovley at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA and announced in the journal Science in August 2003.