NSF Award
0243492
The primary goal of this project is to sequence to completion the 4.2 megabase genome of the extremely halophilic Archaea, Haloferax volcanii and to aid scientists and educators in making use of this data. This project can be divided into four distinct aims: (1) to carry out whole-genome shotgun sequencing, assembly, and closure of the genome of H. volcanii; (2) to facilitate community annotation using the TIGR MANATEE software and analyze the genome sequence (3) to establish a user-friendly access to the H. volcanii genome sequence and to the genome annotation and analysis, by the general biological and biomedical research community; (4) to aid science educators in the development of tools for using this species as a model for genome-enabled microbiology education. Extreme halophilic Archaea are uniquely able to survive in high salt environments because they balance the internal salt concentration with that of the external environment and because they have adapted their intercellular macromolecular components (proteins, nucleic acids, etc.) to function a high salt milieu. H. volcanii is an excellent model system for the study of the general biology of Archaea. It is easily cultivated at moderate temperatures and is amenable to genetic and molecular manipulation. This organism, in addition to being salt dependent, is desiccation and radiation resistant and is being used as a model to study novel metabolic pathways, adaptation to changing salinity and for heterologous expression of gas vacuole and bacterio-opsin encoding genes. Only one complete genome is currently available from this group of halophilic Archaea. Having multiple genomes from this group will allow comparative genomic analysis which has been found to provide remarkable insight into the evolution, mutation, and biology of microbial species. Because of its ease of growth, non pathogenic character and interesting biological properties, we believe H. volcanii can become a model for undergraduate science education courses.
