The group of bacteria grow in the presence of salt and alkaline pH.The dual extremeties make them intersting to study to the fundamental research and biotechnological applications.
I will you take in mind, that alkaliphis cell membrane contain large quantity of plasmalogen. The chemical structure of it is very similiar to that of human intestine bacteria. I think it may be perspective as sours of biological additives and probiotics
Now a days extremozymes especially from halophilic and haloalkaliphilic bacteria are specially attended, because of their biotechnological potentials and for novel applications. This is helpful for the understanding of their intrinsic salt resistance properties and the stabilization mechanisms. It gives extracellular enzymes of halophiles to have activity in the worst conditions.Almost all types of protease have some potential application. Protease used in detergent industries possesses both high activity and stability in moderately alkaline conditions are pH 10-11. Proteases are classified on the basis of their origin as animal protease (rennin, trypsin), plant proteases (papain, malt protease) and microbial protease.
Halophiles are organisms that live in high salt concentrations. Most halophiles are classified into the Archaea domain, in addition there are also bacterial halophiles and some eukaryota, such as the alga, Dunaliella salina or fungus Wallemia ichthyophaga.
Halophiles can be found anywhere with a concentration of salt five times greater than the salt concentration of the ocean, such as the Great Salt Lake in Utah, Owens Lake in California, the Dead Sea, and in evaporation ponds. Halobacterium is a group of Archaea that have a high tolerance for elevated levels of salinity.
Some hypersaline lakes are a habitat to numerous families of halophiles (e.g. Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana is a vast seasonal high salinity water body that manifests halophilic species within the diatom genus Nitzschia in the family Bacillariaceae as well as species within the genus Lovenula in the family Diaptomidae, Owens Lake in California also contains a large population of the halophilic bacteria Halobacterium halobium).
The fermentation of salty foods (such as soy sauce, Chinese fermented beans, salted cod, salted anchovies, sauerkraut etc.) often involves halobacteria, as either essential ingredients or accidental contaminants.
It is not just the modified plasma membrane, even the enzymes are modified too. If we believe the fundamental definition of ecosystem, then the interaction between these microbes and other living forms is essential for the survival of the native flora band fauna of a haloalkaline ecosystem as these microorganisms will maintain the equilibrium of all essential nutrients by the process of biogeochemical cycling of minerals.
In the present study, we firstly aimed to determine the ability of halophilic bacteria to improve tomato growth. as well as to detect the antimicrobial activities from two moderately halophilic bacteria strain M3-23 of Virgibacillus marismortui and strain J31 of Terribacillus halophilus exhibited by their intracellular proteins.
This answer is related to haloalkaliphilic organism’s and their adaptation and application
Adaptation: Some haloalkaliphilic organisms can tolerate pH upto 10 (range 7.5-10), such as Natroniella acetigena (optimum pH range is 9.7-10). In haloalkaliphili bacteria, the accumulation of osmoregulatory compounds promotes the maintenance of cell volume, turgor, and electrolyte concentration. Osmoregulatory compounds include polyols (usually glycerol), sugars (sucrose, trehalose), amino acids (proline, glutamic acid), and quaternary amines (glycine betaine, ectoine, hydroxyectoine). Of these compounds, glycine betaine and ectoine are the most widespread.
Biotechnological application:
Osmoregulators (ectoine and hydroxyectoine) stabilize nucleic acids and a number of labile enzymes in vitro and thus increase their working life. They can also protect them against high or low temperatures, salts, and desiccation
Betaine was shown to be a more effective protective agent for freezing and long-term storage of microbial cells
Some osmolytes can be used for PCR amplification of DNA with high G+C content. Betaine and ectoine, for example, have been shown to decrease the DNA melting temperature; ectoine was more efficient in this respect
Ectoine has been found to protect human skin against harmful ultraviolet irradiation. It also protects the skin microflora against unfavourable environmental factors.
Betaine can be used to protect the human liver from hepatotoxic effects such as ethanol or CCl4
Betaine is reported to decreases the probability of heart attacks, infarctions, strokes, and diseases of peripheral arteries. Its anticoagulant properties help to prevent thrombus formation and proliferation
Betaine has been shown to be applicable for the treatment of atherosclerosis, which results from high cholesterol
Reference
E. N. Detkova and Yu. V. Boltyanskaya. 2007.Osmoadaptation of Haloalkaliphilic Bacteria: Role of Osmoregulators and Their Possible Practical Application. Microbiology, 76 ( 5): 511–522
If you are looking for some research into halophilic organisms that also grow at alkaline pH and/or acidic pH, I recommend the papers at the following URLs: http://f1000research.com/articles/3-168/v2, http://aem.asm.org/content/78/12/4074.long