FAQ
- Q: What are halophiles?
- A: Microorganisms which grow in high salinities, usually those higher than the sea.
- Q: Why is Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 called Archaea and not Bacteria?
- A: Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 is a member of the third domain of life, called Archaea, and are different from members of the other two domains, Bacteria and Eukarya.
- Q: What do Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 cells look like under the microscope?
- A: Cells are rod-shaped and motile. They will appear phase bright in a phase microscope if they produce gas vesicles. In the absence of these organelles, they appear dark.
- Q: When looking at colonies, how can I tell the difference between the Vac+ and Vac- phenotype?
- A: The Vac+ colonies appear pink and opaque, while the Vac- colonies appear red and translucent.
- Q: Do they stain either Gram positive or Gram negative?
- A: They cells have a pink color to them, and stain Gram negative.
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