Scientists Discovered Amoeba Surviving Extreme Heat

A newly identified amoeba thrives in temperatures reaching 147 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking previous records for complex life.

Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Life Sciences

Steam rises from a turquoise geothermal pool surrounded by volcanic rock in a natural landscape. — Researchers have identified Incendiamoeba cascadensis, a new amoeba species capable of surviving in water temperatures exceeding 145 degrees Fahrenheit. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Researchers have identified a heat-loving amoeba, Incendiamoeba cascadensis, capable of movement and reproduction in water exceeding 145 degrees Fahrenheit. This discovery, published in the journal Cell, establishes a new upper thermal limit for complex eukaryotes.

Why it matters

The finding challenges existing biological paradigms regarding the thermal limits of complex life, which typically struggle above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Understanding how this organism survives extreme conditions could provide insights into protein-based heat protection mechanisms.

Incendiamoeba cascadensis displays mobility at 147 degrees Fahrenheit and reproduction at over 145 degrees Fahrenheit. This performance significantly exceeds the 140-degree Fahrenheit record previously held by other complex eukaryotes.

The players

Syracuse University

This institution served as the academic home for the research team that conducted the study.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

The site in California where researchers extracted the water and sediment samples containing the amoebas.

Cell

This peer-reviewed scientific journal published the findings regarding the newly discovered heat-tolerant organism.

The details

The research team collected samples from Lassen Volcanic National Park in California between 2023 and 2025. By sequencing the amoeba's genome and culturing it in controlled incubators, scientists identified unique membrane proteins that allow the microbe to maintain cellular function in extreme heat.

Samples were collected between 2023 and 2025.
The study was published in the journal Cell on September 22, 2026.

The Big Picture

This discovery shifts the study of complex eukaryotes by establishing a new record for heat tolerance compared to the historical thermal limit of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. It narrows the gap between the heat resilience of complex organisms and that of simpler bacteria and archaea.

Understanding the heat-management traits of this amoeba may eventually lead to advancements in protein engineering or high-heat resistant biotechnologies. While the discovery is currently theoretical, such research often informs future synthetic biology applications in harsh environments.

The takeaway

This discovery demonstrates that the thermal boundaries for complex life are more flexible than scientists previously believed. Future research is expected to uncover additional extremophiles residing within geothermal ecosystems.