From the hot springs of Yellowstone to the deserts of Big Bend National Park, US national parks contain a diverse array of environments that are home to a myriad of microorganisms. These remarkable organisms can survive in even the harshest of conditions, providing scientists with a fascinating study of microbial ecology and evolution.
Through the National Park Service Special Collection, we have made it easy for researchers to access these unique microorganisms. Our growing collection comprises over 100 bacterial, fungal, and protozoan species, including thermophiles, alkaliphiles, and acidophiles. Explore our exciting portfolio to see how this special collection can benefit your research and lead to innovations in biomedical research and industrial processes.
Bacteriology and Archaea Extremophiles
Learn about extremophilic members of the Bacteria and Archaea domain. Scientists have been studying these extremophiles for decades in a variety of applications. The enzymes (or “extremozymes”) that enable extremophiles to thrive in seemingly impossible conditions could lead to far-reaching innovations in biomedical research and industry.
Explore MoreHow to order a National Park Service Special Collection strain
To order a National Park Service (NPS) Special Collection item, you must provide a signed Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) addendum for National Park Service products. We cannot ship this item until we receive this addendum. The person signing the addendum as the principal investigator must match the end user as listed on the applicable sales order for the item. Email the signed addendum to [email protected] with a reference to both your account and sales order numbers. Once received, your addendum will be reviewed, and this item will be released for shipment if all requirements are met. If you need assistance with your order, please contact our Customer Care team or your applicable distributor.
How to make a National Park Service Special Collection Deposit
If you've been given permission to collect microbial specimens in a US national park, you can make a deposit into the National Park Service Special Collection to satisfy publication requirements as well as to make the unique materials available to scientists worldwide to study.
Visit our National Park Service Deposit page.
