Update Your ProfileAcademic Title:
Professor
Primary Appointment:
Microbiology and Immunology
Location:
Columbus Center, 5047
Phone (Primary):
410-234-8847
Phone (Secondary):
410-234-8861
Fax:
410-234-8896
Education and Training
Indiana University, Chemistry, B.S. (Honors)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Biochemistry, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Postdoctoral Fellow
Biosketch
Dr. DasSarma is a pioneering microbiologist well-known for his contributions to the genomics, molecular biology, and biotechnology of Archaea. Prior to joining the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, he was a Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. He currently serves as chair of the Environment, Health, and Society Foundation in the system-wide MEES graduate program, and is the UMB institutional representative. He also serves as director of Climate Change, Health, and Society, an interprofessional collaborative course (CIPP 650) and faculty consortium. He has published over 170 scientific papers and given more than 100 invited talks over his career.
Please visit the DasSarma Laboratory to learn more.
Research/Clinical Keywords
extremophiles, haloarchaea, microbial genomics, purple membrane, gas vesicle nanoparticles, vaccines and therapeutics, climate change
Highlighted Publications
DasSarma, S. 2007. Extreme Microbes: The Salty Side of Life. American Scientist 95:224-231.
DasSarma, S., Coker, J. A. and DasSarma, P. 2009. Archaea (overview). The Desk Encyclopedia of Microbiology, pp. 118-139, Oxford: Elsevier.
DasSarma, S. and DasSarma, P. 2015. Halophiles and their enzymes: negativity put to good use. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 25:120–126. DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.05.009
DasSarma, S. and DasSarma, P. 2017. Halophiles. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0000394.pub4
DasSarma, P. and DasSarma, S. 2018. Survival of microbes in Earth's stratosphere. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 43:24-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.11.002.
DasSarma, P. and DasSarma, S. 2021. Gas Vesicle Nanoparticles. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, Vol 2: 1–14, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0029044
Wang, J. and DasSarma, S. 2024. Contributions of Medical Greenhouse Gases to Climate Change and Their Possible Alternatives. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 21:1548. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21121548
Awards and Affiliations
MacVicar Award for Leadership in Climate Action, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Professor, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University System of Maryland
Institutional Representative, Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Science Graduate Program
In the News
Healio, Students investigate coal terminal’s impacts on air pollution in Baltimore’s Curtis Bay
Catalyst Magazine, Rising Concerns: Students Tackle Climate Change and Its Effects on Health in New Elective at UMB
New York Times, A Pond in Hawaii Turned Pink, Raising an Environmental Red Flag
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS Eons), When The Earth Was Purple
Washington Post, 'Superbugs' Could Benefit Humans
DasSarma Lab
The DasSarma laboratory was established soon after the discovery of the Archaea. Since then, we have been studying life in extreme environments and their mechanisms of adaptation to stressors. We use a combination of genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, transcriptomics, and other approaches to address problems of fundamental importance. We led the sequencing project on the first Haloarchaeon, Halobacterium sp. NRC-1, and studied many of the ca. 2,500 genes in the genome and pursued translational research through genetic engineering and biotechnology. For example, the gas vesicle gene cluster of Halobacterium, which has been of long term interest, is bioengineerable, and is being used for therapeutic and antigenic protein delivery and vaccine development. Recently, we have sequenced over a dozen new Haloarchaeal genes from around the world, including Permian salt deposits.
Climate Change Course
Dr. DasSarma serves as the course director for CIPP650, “Climate Change, Health, and Society”, an interprofessional course. The course examines the causes and impacts of climate change, emphasizing human health and society in Maryland, including the scientific basis for climate change, health equity, and governmental policies. Case studies are highlighted, and students work in teams to develop innovative solutions to climate change-driven environmental challenges. The course addresses issues such as extreme heat, infectious disease, air pollution, salt water inundation, and environmental justice.