• Rebecca Wipfler
• Characterization of the surface layer structue of a thermophilic archaeon
• Molecular and Cellular Biology

Describe
your research
experience

My research focuses on studying the surface layer of Sulfolobus islandicus (S. islandicus). S. islandicus is a microorganism in the domain Archaea. This thermophilic (heat-loving) and acidophilic (acid-loving) microbe can be found growing in hot springs around the world. S. islandicus has an outer protein layer, called a surface layer (S-layer), surrounding the cell. This S-layer is composed of two proteins, S-layer A (SlaA) and S-layer B (SlaB). Even though the S-layer can be found in numerous archaeal and bacterial species, the exact physiological role or function of the S-layer in Sulfolobus species is unknown.

The In the Field series showcases undergraduate research across our campus in the form of 60-second video vignettes. This series is proudly sponsored by the Illinois Office of Undergraduate Research.

This In the Field video spotlights undergraduate research student Rebecca Wipfler. Rebecca is a undergraduate student earning a double major in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is also pursuing a minor in informatics and serves as an Illinois Undergraduate Research Ambassador.