Welcome to the de la Torre Laboratory Website
Our lab studies a group of microorganisms called the Archaea. We are particularly interested in a group of Archaea that make their living by oxidizing ammonia to nitrite. These Ammonia-Oxidizing Archaea (AOA) are extrmeley abundant in marine environments, with some scientists estimating they account for nearly 20% of all the bacterioplankton in the world's oceans. Because of their huge numbers, it is believed that these AOA are major players in global Carbon and Nitrogen cycles.
Recently, we have identified relatives of these marine AOA living in the hydrothermal hot springs in Yellowstone National Park. We are currently studying the physiology and genomics of these thermophilic AOA to get a better understanding of the ecological distribution and evolution of the AOA.
