Editing Halotolerance (section)

==Applications==
Fields of scientific research relevant to halotolerance include [[biochemistry]], [[molecular biology]], [[cell biology]], [[physiology]], [[ecology]], and [[genetics]].

An understanding of halotolerance can be applicable to areas such as [[arid-zone agriculture]], [[xeriscaping]], [[aquaculture]] (of fish or algae), bioproduction of desirable compounds (such as [[phycobiliprotein]]s or [[carotenoid]]s) using seawater to support growth, or [[Environmental remediation|remediation]] of salt-affected soils. In addition, many environmental stressors involve or induce osmotic changes, so knowledge gained about halotolerance can also be relevant to understanding tolerance to extremes in moisture or temperature.

Goals of studying halotolerance include increasing the agricultural productivity of lands affected by [[soil salination]] or where only saline water is available. Conventional agricultural species could be made more halotolerant by gene transfer from naturally halotolerant species (by conventional [[Artificial selection|breeding]] or [[genetic engineering]]) or by applying treatments developed from an understanding of the mechanisms of halotolerance. In addition, naturally halotolerant plants or microorganisms could be developed into useful [[agriculture|agricultural]] crops or [[fermentation (biochemistry)|fermentation]] organisms.