Editorial: Psychrotolerant microbes: ecological adaptations and biotechnological potential

ecological importance (IPCC, 2022). Bioprospecting of these distinct cold ecosystems has revealed a plethora of microorganisms (psychrophiles and psychrotolerants), many of them novel and often endemic, exhibiting fascinating adaptive strategies. Cold-adapted microorganisms undergo several modifications at cellular and biochemical levels to alleviate the influence of low-temperature stress conditions (Hualpa-Cutipa et al., 2022;Chauhan et al., 2023). This issue "Psychrotolerant microbes: ecological adaptations and biotechnological potential", aims to summarize the functional versatility of cold-adapted microorganisms, with particular reference to their peculiarities, along with the ecological and biotechnological significance, through selected articles. This has enriched our knowledge on the structural and functional aspects of cold-adapted microorganisms, originally isolated from areas including the Arctic, the Antarctic, the Himalaya, ancient cave ice and the Greenland Ice Sheet. varied approaches and methodologies. The capacity of these microbes to produce enzymes and bioactive compounds reflects adaptive responses that underpin their potential applications in agriculture, medicine, and industrial processes. In this context, the conservation of cold ecosystems and their native microbial communities is crucial, not only for preserving their ecological functions and resilience to environmental change, but also for safeguarding the genetic and functional richness that underlies this biotechnological potential. Continued exploration and bioprospecting efforts targeting microbial diversity in poorly explored cold environments will remain important for advancing such endeavours (Chauhan and Pandey, 2024).