17 M. M. Javed S. Zahoor H. Sabar I. U. Haq M. E. Babar Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences JAPS 20122012/02/01 22 1 83-87 1018-7081 NA <p>The importance of thermostable biomolecules in the field of biotechnology has spurred research into organisms capable of growth at high temperatures. Three thermophilic bacterial strains GCTP-1, GCMB-1 and GCDP-1 were isolated from the hot springs of Tatta Pani, Murtazabad &amp; Darkut Pass respectively in the surroundings of Gilgit.&nbsp; All isolates have entire and slimy colonies while the cells were small rods, gram-negative non-motile and semi aerobic. Strains GCTP-1 showed positive results of ortho nitrophenyl-&beta;-D-galactopyranosidase (ONPG) and gelatin hydrolysis (GEL) tests other isolates gave negative results in all tests such as ortho nitrophenyl-&beta;D-galactopyranosidase, arginine dihydrolases, lysine decarboxlase, ornithine decarboxylases, citrate utilization, H2S production, urease, tryptophan deaminases, indole production, acetoin production, gelatin hydrolysis, Fermentation/oxidation (glucose, mannitol, inositol, sorbitol, rhamnose, sucrose, melibiose, amygdalin, arabinose) and&nbsp; cytochrome oxidase. All isolates were grown well at pH range 7&ndash;9, with optimum pH 7.2. However, isolates were highly thermophilic and showed optimum growth temperature 65- 70oC</p> Thermophiles, Pakistan, Bacterial strains, hot springs. Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum https://thejaps.org.pk/AbstractView.aspx?mid=2012-JAPS-128