The Peck Lab keeps, cultures and studies halophiles called Archaea. Their single chromosome shares genetic similarities to bacteria and eukaryotes, indicating an ancient history of gene swapping and genetic change. The cells respond at a genetic level allowing survival in their salt-saturated niche.
Halophiles are some of the toughest organisms on Earth because they are “Extremophiles,” organisms that live in environments that are toxic to most others. For example, thermophiles tolerate heat to the boiling point, acidophiles thrive in acid of pH 3.0 or below, xerophiles tolerate desiccation. Halophiles live in the saltiest places on Earth. The Dead Sea, Utah’s Great Salt Lake and desiccating salt pans around the world are home these prokaryotes.
One of the extraordinary features of these microorganisms is their ability to use nutrients in their environment or sunlight to produce energy. The Peck Lab focuses on the biochemical pathway that produces the light-harnessing pigment for sunlight driven energy production. From gene to protein to salt-saturated survival, we observe how these amazing cells function.
See our Research page for a diagram and description of this pathway.