Microbial Life and Temperature: A Semi Empirical Approach

Many groups have examined the effect of temperature on the survival of microorganisms, resulting in the development of several models. Some of these models are based on the Arrhenius equation and the others are based on multidimensional response surface equations. We argue that the former are inadequate and the latter lack biological meaning. We show that an equation (the GLE equation) deduced from the Theory of Rate Processes is more accurate than the Arrhenius equation. The excellent standard deviation values of the apparent free energy of activation obtained with the GLE equation for microbial growth, embryogenic and other processes show that this equation is more suitable than the Arrhenius equation. The GLE equation shows how temperature affects survival. Thus, organisms survive longer at low temperatures than at normal temperatures. The recent discovery of microorganisms in Siberian permafrost samples that are several million years old, in deep oil fields, mines and other extreme habitats appears to be consistent with the GLE equation. Another example, the enhanced resistance of spores at extreme temperatures can be easily explained by their high apparent free energy of activation We also examined the implications of the GLE equation on food sterilization practices and on exobiology.