Today, the authors of a study appearing in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, have found a way to control a heat-loving microbe with a temperature switch: it makes a product at low temperatures but not at high temperatures. Many manufacturing processes rely on microorganisms to perform tricky chemical transformations or make substances from simple starting materials. This innovation could make it easier to use microorganisms as miniature factories for the production of needed materials like biofuels. Providing a new perspective on engineering microorganisms for bioproduct and biofuel formation, according to the authors, this is the first time a targeted modification of a hyperthermophile (heat-loving microorganism) has been accomplished.