Project Grant 2427099

This $1,050,000 Project Grant, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), aims to study how extreme environments shape the regulatory networks of transcription in microbes called archaea. The research project, conducted by Duke University, will focus on haloarchaea - a group of archaea that thrive in extremely salty environments. The project's key objectives are to: (1) use genetics, genomics, and statistical modeling to compare the architecture and function of transcriptional regulatory networks across multiple haloarchaeal species; and (2) observe the real-time molecular evolution of these networks through laboratory evolution experiments. The research is expected to provide insight into the genetic mechanisms underlying the rapid adaptation of archaea to extreme conditions, as well as the broader implications for understanding how life can survive in inhospitable environments. The award reflects the NSF's interest in supporting fundamental biological research that advances scientific knowledge and has potential applications for fields like astrobiology and environmental science. No subawards are planned for this project.