A newly discovered eukaryotic amoeba, Incendiamoeba cascadensis, also known as the fire amoeba, can survive temperatures up to 147°F (64°C), challenging the notion that only prokaryotes endure extreme heat.

This finding broadens our understanding of life's limits on Earth and informs the search for life on other planets by expanding the conditions under which complex life could persist.

The organism was found in geothermal features of Lassen Volcanic National Park and studied by Beryl Rappaport and colleagues, with support from NASA.

The study was published in Cell on the date of September 22, 2026, with funding from NSF, NASA, NIH, HHMI, DOE, and other agencies.

Led by Angela M. Oliverio and colleagues, the Cell report documents samples collected from geothermal streams between 2023 and 2025.

Researchers Ani and Katz contributed to determining the organism’s evolutionary placement within Amoebozoa using the EukPhylo phylogenomic pipeline.

Extremophile research, including these findings, holds potential for biotechnological and medical applications due to unique proteins produced by heat-loving organisms.

Genomic analyses show Incendiamoeba cascadensis has a larger genome than its extremophile relatives, indicating a distinct evolutionary path rather than genome streamlining.

Phylogenomics is central to placing new thermophiles in the tree of life and understanding cellular resilience and geothermal ecosystem diversity.

Documenting such heat-tolerant organisms is important for broader scientific exploration of complex life and its implications for biology and biotechnology.

Between 2023 and 2025, researchers collected organisms and tested their resilience and recovery under heat exposure in laboratory conditions.

The work contributes to astrobiology by illustrating how complex life could endure extreme conditions and by informing NASA’s strategies for exploring habitability beyond Earth.