The archaebacterium Halobacterium halobium contains intracellular gas-filled vesicles that confer buoyancy to the cell. Research will be carried out on the development of a cloning vector for this organism, using the plasmid which contains the genes for the gas vesicles. Studies of the loci involved with plasmid stability are being undertaken in order to determine the mechanism responsible for a class of vesicle mutants which are partially vac and extremely unstable.
