Pyrolobus fumarii

Pyrolobus fumarii (Latin for "fire lobe of the chimney") is a species of archaea known for living and reproducing at extremely high temperatures that kill most organisms. P. fumarii is known as a hyperthermophile obligately chemolithoautotroph. In the simplest terms, this archaea grows best in warm temperatures ranging from 80 °C to 115 °C. It also uses preformed molecules as its energy source rather than light, inorganic as an electron donor, and CO₂ is used as a carbon source. It was first discovered in 1997 in a black smoker hydrothermal vent at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, setting the upper-temperature threshold for known life to exist at 113 °C (235.4 °F) with an optimal temperature of 106 °C. This species "freezes" or solidifies and ceases growth at temperatures of 90 °C (194 °F) and below.