Evolution of the Biosynthetic Pathway in Haloarchaea
Authors: Madison Roth-Alvarez
Faculty Supervisor: José R. de la Torre
Department: Biology
Haloarchaea are prokaryotic organisms living in high salt-concentrated waters such as the Dead Sea, the Great Salt Lake, and natural brines. These lakes or natural brine may appear red or purple due to the carotenoid pigments found in Haloarchaea. While Haloarchaea is known for these colors, only a few studies are focused on carotenoid pigments in these organisms. This research aims to examine the evolution of the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway in Haloarchaea and determine if this pathway was always used to derive carotenoids and create such vibrant pigment. This will be achieved by using an updated Haloarchaeal phylogenetic tree, choosing three families, and researching their pigment pathways to determine if evolution has affected the use or purpose.