Editorial: Acetic acid bacteria

Acetic acid bacteria (ABB) are strictly aerobic organisms that can be found in a wide variety of natural and industrial environments. Their versatility and metabolic adaptability make them microorganisms of high interest to study the optimization of obtaining their multiple products and the essential mechanisms that allow them to grow under extreme conditions. Their metabolism, particularly the role of membrane-bound and soluble dehydrogenases, may offer new opportunities in the development of innovative processes based on their capability for carrying out the incomplete oxidation of several substrates. On the other hand, the resistance of AAB to some extreme conditions, i.e., low pH values, and adaptability to many different habitats make them highly competitive bacteria; so, their interaction with other organisms and plants is a very important topic to be studied. The ability of AAB in producing exopolysaccharides is also of great interest for both research and industrial purposes. They are considered as model organisms for understanding the mechanisms of cellulose synthesis and they are until now the most efficient organisms for producing it, under controlled conditions. Finally, the current state of omic technologies and efficient genetic modification methods can be applied for a greater understanding of the physiological behavior, the recovery of new strains and/or those occurring in complex environments as well as to exploit the full potential of AAB for oxidative bioconversions.