Methanococcoides burtonii is a methylotrophic methanogenic archaeon first isolated from Ace Lake, Antarctica. Its type strain is DSM 6242. M. burtonii is an extremophilic archeon of the family Methanosarcinaceae, a family of three genera of coccus-shaped cells. Methanococcides burtonii has adapted to life in Antarctica where it resides in Ace Lake at temperatures that remain permanently 1-2 °C. M. burtonii was first discovered by an Austrian limnologist named Harry Burton. It was determined that the optimal temperature of growth was 23 °C. M. burtonii is able to grow on methylated substrates and tolerates a broad range of growth temperatures (< 4° to 29 °C). The cold adaptation in M. burtonii involves specific changes in membrane lipid unsaturation and flexible proteins. M. burtonii are ir