Cultivation of Halophilic Archaea Halobacterium salinarum

Abstract

A light-sensitive protein from extremophile archaea Halobacterium salinarum, bacteriorhodopsin (HsBR), has found numerous applications in pharmacology, biotechnology, bioelectronics and other fields [1, 2] due to its ability to convert light energy into a gradient of hydrogen ions across the cell membrane. Despite a wide range of its practical applications, the quantum mechanism of proton transfer remains not fully discovered yet. For further investigation and cost-effective implementation of developments, a higher yield of BR-rich biomass is necessitated. Hereafter we present our findings regarding efficient synthesis of HsBR using its natural host, H. salinarum.