International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology Subcommittee on the taxonomy of genus Bacillus and related organisms

This document records the minutes of a meeting of the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology's Subcommittee on Bacillus taxonomy, held in Sydney, Australia on August 18, 1999. The subcommittee, chaired by R.C.W. Berkeley, reviewed membership changes, including resignations and new additions to the committee. A key agenda item was the development of minimal standards for Bacillus and related organisms, which had stalled since 1994; the secretary agreed to recirculate a draft for member comments by November 1999. Members presented ongoing research across diverse areas: isolation of halophilic and thermophilic Bacillus species, polyphasic taxonomy studies proposing the genus Virgibacillus, investigation of Bacillus diversity in medieval wall paintings, dispersal of endospore-formers from composting sites, and identification of insect-pathogenic species being reclassified to Paenibacillus. The subcommittee also planned a 2-day international meeting on Bacillus systematics and applications scheduled for Bruges, Belgium in August 2000.

Key findings

• The subcommittee updated its membership and addressed stalled progress on minimal taxonomic standards for Bacillus organisms
• Members reported discoveries of new Bacillus species including halophilic, thermophilic, and biocontrol variants from diverse environmental sources
• Research initiatives included proposals to establish the new genus Virgibacillus and to reclassify insect-pathogenic Bacillus species to Paenibacillus
• The subcommittee planned an international meeting for 2000 focusing on Bacillus systematics and applications