Microbiologically influenced corrosion in extreme environments caused by problematic microbial biofilms.

Extremophiles can form resilient biofilms and cause microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) in extreme environments, with corrosion mechanisms active under high temperature, salinity, and acidity.

• Why it matters: Understanding MIC in extreme conditions is crucial because industrial systems often operate in such environments, yet current detection and mitigation methods are mainly validated under mild conditions, limiting their effectiveness.
• What they did: The review synthesizes recent research on microbial biofilm formation, adaptation, and persistence in extreme environments, focusing on mechanisms like extracellular electron transfer-MIC and metabolite-MIC, and evaluates current detection and mitigation strategies.
• The result: Findings show extremophiles maintain corrosive activity despite environmental stresses, highlighting the need for advanced materials, inhibitors, and AI tools to improve MIC prediction and mitigation in harsh conditions.