Pyrococcus abyssi

Pyrococcus abyssi is a hyperthermophilic archaeon isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent in the North Fiji Basin at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). It is anaerobic, sulfur-metabolizing, gram-negative, coccus-shaped and highly motile. Its optimum growth temperature is 96 °C (205 °F). Its type strain is GE5 (CNCM I-1302).^[1] Pyrococcus abyssi has been used as a model organism in studies of DNA polymerase.^[2] This species can also grow at high cell densities in bioreactors.^[3]

Pyrococcus abyssi
Active site of a thermoactive nitrilase from Pyrococcus abyssi detailing the Cys-Glu-Lys catalytic triad.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Archaea
Kingdom:	Methanobacteriati
Phylum:	Methanobacteriota
Class:	Thermococci
Order:	Thermococcales
Family:	Thermococcaceae
Genus:	Pyrococcus
Species:	P. abyssi
Binomial name
Pyrococcus abyssi Erauso et al. 1993