Microbe of the month: Chloracidobacterium validum – valid description of a new family and order of Acidobacteria
BRAUNSCHWEIG, LOWER SAXONY AREA, GERMANY, February 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Department of Microorganisms of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH harbors over 600 chlorophototrophic bacterial strains – microbes that use (bacterio)chlorophyll pigments to capture and use light to derive the energy they need to live. With the recently published bacterium Chloracidobacterium validum DSM 113832T, the collection now includes representatives of all eight bacterial phyla in which chlorophototrophic organisms have been identified to date (Cyanobacteria, Pseudomonadota, Chlorobi, Chloroflexota, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Eremiobacterota, and Acidobacteriota).
Bacteria from hot springs in Yellowstone National Park
Twenty years after the initial discovery of these novel and unusual microbes in a bacterial mat in a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, the taxonomic name of the genus Chloracidobacterium has finally been “validly” published based on a isolate from Rupite, Bulgaria, with which a cultivated pure isolate is now available without restriction for scientific research. Chloracidobacterium validum is, after C. thermophilum, the second isolated representative and official type strain of this unusual genus, family, and order, which combines the characteristics of strictly anaerobic green sulfur bacteria (Chlorobi) and oxygen-producing cyanobacteria in a single organism. “By selecting this bacterium to be ’Microbe of the Month’, the Microbiology Society confirms the special status of these unusual, fastidious, and elusive thermophilic, microaerobic, chlorophototrophs as remarkable specialists”, says Dr. Vera Thiel, curator for halophilic and phototrophic bacteria at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ.
The DSMZ bacterial collection is unparalleled in its extent worldwide
With about 80 percent of all described bacterial species globally available, the Leibniz Institute DSMZ houses the majority of known bacterial diversity to date, as well as a unique collection of human and animal cell lines, fungal strains, plant viruses, bacteriophages, and genomic bacterial DNA for research purposes. The DSMZ supplies researchers worldwide with biological resources. Around 2,500 new bioresources are deposited in the DSMZ collection every year, making it the largest and most diverse biological resource collection in the world. Every year, the DSMZ distributes around 40,000 biological resources to approximately 10,000 customers in over 80 countries.
Press contact
PhDr. Sven-David Müller, Head of Public Relations, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH
Phone: ++49 (0)531/2616-300
Mail: press(at)dsmz.de
About the Leibniz Institute DSMZ
The Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures is the world’s most diverse collection of biological resources (bacteria, archaea, protists, yeasts, fungi, bacteriophages, plant viruses, genomic bacterial DNA as well as human and animal cell lines). Microorganisms and cell cultures are collected, investigated and archived at the DSMZ. As an institution of the Leibniz Association, the DSMZ with its extensive scientific services and biological resources has been a global partner for research, science and industry since 1969. The DSMZ was the first registered collection in Europe (Regulation (EU) No. 511/2014) and is certified according to the quality standard ISO 9001:2015. As a patent depository, it offers the only possibility in Germany to deposit biological material in accordance with the requirements of the Budapest Treaty. In addition to scientific services, research is the second pillar of the DSMZ. The institute, located on the Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd, accommodates more than 93,600 bioresources and has almost 230 employees. www.dsmz.de
The Leibniz Association
The Leibniz Association connects 96 independent research institutions that range in focus from natural, engineering and environmental sciences to economics, spatial and social sciences and the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance. They conduct basic and applied research, including in the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Alliances, maintain scientific infrastructure, and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer, particularly with the Leibniz research museums. It advises and informs policymakers, science, industry and the general public. Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – including in the form of Leibniz ScienceCampi – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent, independent evaluation procedure. Because of their importance for the country as a whole, the Leibniz Association Institutes are funded jointly by Germany’s central and regional governments. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 21,400 people, including 12,170 researchers. The financial volume amounts to 2,3 billion euros. www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de
PhDr. Sven David Mueller, M.Sc.
Leibniz-Institut DSMZ
+49 531 2616300
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