Recently, five deep hypersaline anoxic basins (DHABs) were discovered in the Mediterranean Sea: Bannock, Urania, Discovery, Atalante and Tyro basins. In these basins there is a sharp transition from overlying seawater to dense, anoxic brine with a total salinity above 30%. The DHAB are also characterised by the absence of light, elevated pressure, variable pH values and ionic compositions. Taken together, these factors make the DHABs among the most extreme environments on earth. To date, very little is known about the biological characteristics of the DHABs. The aim of BIODEEP is to isolate extremophiles and to identify how their extreme adaptations, which result in novel compounds and activities, can translate into new biotechnological applications. Therefore, Mediterranean DHABs offer a unique possibility to study the influence of brines on the fate of organic compounds from the photosynthetic zone and a new scenario of genetic and metabolic
