Halobacteria are single-celled, rod-shaped microorganisms that are among the most ancient forms of life and appeared on Earth billions of years ago.

Although H. salinarum is unable to catabolize glucose, the transcription factor TrmB has been proven to regulate the gluconeogenic production of sugars found on the S-layer glycoprotein.

To survive in extremely salty environments, this archaeon—as with other halophilic Archaeal species—utilizes compatible solutes (in particular, potassium chloride) to reduce osmotic stress.

[14] There is little protection from the Sun in salt ponds, so H. salinarum are often exposed to high amounts of UV radiation.

Its red color is due primarily to the presence of bacterioruberin, a 50 carbon carotenoid Alcohol (polyol) pigment present within the membrane of H. salinarum.

The primary role of bacterioruberin in the cell is to protect against DNA damage incurred by UV light.

[16] It is able to protect the cell from reactive oxygen species produced from exposure to UV by acting as a target.

[22][21] H. salinarum is polyploid[24] and highly resistant to ionizing radiation and desiccation, conditions that induce DNA double-strand breaks.

Regeneration occurs by a process involving DNA single-stranded binding protein and is likely a form of homologous recombinational repair.

Whole proteome comparisons show the definite archaeal nature of this halophile with additional similarities to the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and other bacteria.

Methods for gene replacement and systematic knockout have been developed,[29] so H. salinarum is an ideal candidate for the study of archaeal genetics and functional genomics.

[31] Then in 2009 it was claimed that a sample of a close genetic relative of H. salinarum encapsulated in salt allowed for the recovery of ancient DNA fragments estimated at 121 million years old.

[32] The curing salt had been derived from a mine in Saskatchewan, the site of the most recent sample described by Jong Soo Park of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.