bioRxiv November 25, 2025

A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes

The study of temperature limits has transformed our knowledge of the boundaries of life but has been largely focused on bacteria and archaea. We isolated a novel geothermal amoeba, Incendiamoeba cascadensis, that divides at 63{degrees}C (145.4{degrees}F), establishing a new record for the upper temperature limit across all eukaryotes. We demonstrated cellular proliferation with growth experiments and visualized mitosis via expansion microscopy. Using high-temperature live-cell imaging, we quanti