Pyrolobus fumarii

Pyrolobus fumarii (Latin for "fire lobe of the chimney") is a species of archaea known for living and reproducing at extremely high temperatures that kill most organisms. P. fumarii is known as a hyperthermophile obligately chemolithoautotroph (it cannot use carbon from organic sources). In the simplest terms, this archaea grows best in warm temperatures ranging from 80–115 °C (176–239 °F). It also uses preformed molecules as its energy source rather than light, inorganic as an electron donor, and CO₂ is used as a carbon source. It was first discovered in a black smoker hydrothermal vent at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and described in 1996, setting the upper-temperature threshold for known life to exist at 113 °C (235 °F) with an optimal temperature of 106 °C (223 °F), and can survive even higher temperatures (one hour in an autoclave at 121 °C (250 °F)). This species "freezes" or solidifies and ceases growth at temperatures of 90 °C (194 °F) and below.