Halo-Ed Portal: The DasSarma Group Virtual Lab
Welcome to the Halo-Ed Portal!
DasSarma Lab	The DasSarma Laboratory has focused on extreme halophiles* called Haloarchaea, for over 35 years. Professor Shiladitya DasSarma first encountered Halobacterium sp. during his PhD studies at MIT in the laboratory of Prof Har Gobind Khorana, Nobel Laureate and co-discoverer of the genetic code. [Hear DasSarma's tribute lecture for Prof Khorana on his birth centenary in January 2022.] The genetic code and genome sequencing, including the Halobacterium sp. genome sequence, have allowed our research to become primarily bioinformatic and virtual. Prof. DasSarma's independent career working with Halobacterium sp. began at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he served on the faculty in the Department of Microbiology (1986-2001). The Halobacterium sp. genome sequencing project was led by the DasSarma group and published in October 2000. Then he moved his laboratory to the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (2001-2010), and University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (2010–present). For more on Professor DasSarma’s Purple Earth Hypothesis, featured by ASM’s Small Things Considered, GVNP technology, and other discoveries in his research career, check out his interview on the DG Early-Morning Show and New York Times. The work in the DasSarma Laboratory has inspired the evolution of the fields of Haloarchaeal research, including sequencing the first Haloarchaeal genome, that of Halobacterium sp. NRC-1, Astrobiology, including positing the Purple Earth Hypothesis, that has gained much recognition, as well as a plethora of biomedical and biotechnological applications, including bioremediation, vaccine and antigen delivery as well as cancer therapeutics. The laboratory has also hosted artists and inspired a number of artistic endeavors (see e.g. Pin Vega and Michele Hagewood). Priya DasSarma, an accomplished microbiologist and Research Scientist at BMSIS, is a long-time collaborator. She was educated at the University of Vienna, Austria and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA. She has been fascinated by Halophiles and Extreme Microbiology for many years, and specializes in microbiology and biotechnology research, education and outreach using Halobacterium sp. and related haloarchaea (see our American Biology Teacher Cover Feature). To read an early review from the DasSarma lab, including a bio, click here. ^*The term Halo comes from the Greek, meaning sea/salt – and^these microbes are salt-loving (halophilic).
Publications	Complete list of publications from the DasSarma lab with access to reprints and the Halophile Laboratory Manual.
Halo-Gen	Halo-Gen is a bioinformatics resource for exploring Haloarchaeal genomes using readily available tools. We provide background and information on many Haloarchaeal strains that have been fully sequenced.
HaloWeb	HaloWeb is our classic Haloarchaeal genomes resource, that allows one manipulate Haloarchaeal genomes, including visualizing genes and gene regions, producing maps, analyzing data using online tools, and includes our Sequence Editor.
Halo-Ed Education & Outreach	Halo-Ed has resources for educators and students interested in halophiles and ways to explore them online and in the laboratory. We provide background information, videos and modules for learning about and working with Haloarchaea.
MolGenT	MolGenT is a powerful, self-guided Molecular Genetics Tutorial. This includes video, audio and text and culminates with a test that can be submitted in order to obtain a Certificate from the Halo-Ed Team.
Web-Links	We love sharing other resources, and have listed some of our favorites, including some tips for use. Let us know if you would like to recommend others for us to check out.
Funding Opportunities	Interested students are encouraged to apply for grants, scholarships and fellowships to work in the DasSarma Laboratory.
Feedback	Did you know? Flamingos get their spectacular color from the food they eat – including red and pink from Haloarchaea! Zoos feed their birds carrot extract or artificial food coloring to compensate for lack of their wild food. If this does not happen, the birds are grey or whitish.
For Questions and Suggestions, contact the Halo-Ed Team
Copyright © Shiladitya DasSarma & Priya DasSarma