Molecular and biophysical aspects of adaptation of life to temperatures below the freezing point

This review examines adaptation of life to temperatures below −2°C, from a biophysical point of view and relative to the properties of water. Different metabolic processes have different lowest temperatures. The lowest established temperature for photosynthesis and growth seems to be about −17°C. The review discusses membrane lipids from Antarctic microbial systems, and the limits to longevity of life in the cold, with coverage of permafrost...