Types of Halophilic Bacteria

Halophilic bacteria live in salty environments. (Halophile means "salt-lover" in Greek.) Scientists have classified many types of halophilic bacteria, but five of them, in particular, have attracted the attention of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry. Those five are Halobacterium salinarum, Natronomonas pharaonis, Haloquadratum walsbyi, Halorhodospira halophila, and Halobacillus halophilus.

Halobacterium salinarum

• Halobacterium salinarum can survive in some of the saltiest places on earth. Scientists have found these bacteria in the Great Salt Lake, the Dead Sea and Lake Magadi, which is located in southern Kenya. It is shaped like a rod, or bacillus, has a distinctive red color, and can live solely off of energy from sunlight.

Natronomonas pharaonis

• Natronomonas pharaonis lives in extreme environments. Scientists find this bacteria in places that are both highly salty and highly alkaline, such as the soda lakes in Egypt. Despite its affinity for extremes, however, Natronomonas pharaonis is sensitive to magnesium in high amounts.

Haloquadratum walsbyi

• Haloquadratum walsbyi are known for its distinctive shape: in addition to being square, they are also very thin and flat. (Most organisms are circular or cylindrical.) Another distinctive feature is the tiny sacs of gas that form on their surface. These sacs allow Haloquadratum walsbyi to move from location to location.

  Haloquadratum walsbyi is the namesake of its discoverer, A.E. Walsby. Like the two preceding halophiles, Haloquadratum walsbyi are archaebacteria, which are some of the most ancient organisms on earth.

Halorhodospira halophila

• Halorhodospira halophila is a type of purple bacteria, which perform a special kind of photosynthesis: Unlike other organisms, purple bacteria generally produce hydrogen instead of oxygen, and this feature has led some scientists to tout purple bacteria, like Halorhodospira halophila, as a potential fuel source.

Halobacillus halophilus

• Like Halorhodospira halophila, Halobacillus halophilus is a eubacteria. That is, the type of bacteria that are most commonly studied in science classrooms. Halobacillus halophilus commonly resides in salt marshes, such as those near the Northern Sea.