Archaerhodopsin proteins are a family of retinal-containing photoreceptors found in the archaea genera Halobacterium and Halorubrum. Like the homologous bacteriorhodopsin (bR) protein, archaerhodopsins harvest energy from sunlight to pump H ions out of the cell, establishing a proton motive force that is used for ATP synthesis. They have some structural similarities to the mammalian G protein-coupled receptor protein rhodopsin, but are not true homologs.
Archaerhodopsins differ from bR in that the claret membrane, in which they are expressed, includes bacterioruberin, a second chromophore thought to protect against photobleaching. Also, bR lacks the omega loop structure observed at the N-terminus of the structures of several archaerhodopsins.
Mutants of Archaerhodopsin-3 (AR3) are used as tools in optogenetics for neuroscience research.