Halophilic archaea are salt-loving microorganisms that live in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. Haloferax volcanii is a species of halophilic archaea that was first isolated from the Dead Sea. This organism prefers to use oxygen to grow. However, in the absence of oxygen it is capable of "breathing" other chemicals (e.g. perchlorates). I am exploring the ability of this organism to grow without oxygen using chemicals that are present on Mars. This research may have implications for bioremediation on Earth and In-situ resource utilization on Mars.  

Potentially habitable areas are hypothesized to exist on Mars today in underground areas containing bleach-like brines. Understanding how Earth life responds to Mars-like conditions is essential in understanding more about the past and present habitability of Mars. My research focuses on exposing salt-loving microbes to Mars-like conditions. The primary goal of this work is to explore the possibility of discovering signs of extinct or extant life on Mars today.