Bacillus Genome Diversity

Bacillus subtilis is arguably one of the best known and most extensively studied Gram positive bacterial species.  However, in spite of the fact that there are more than 50,000 publications describing some aspect of its biology, we know remarkably little about where, how or with whom B. subtilis lives and interacts within its natural environment.  Only recently have we begun to appreciate what are likely some of the more ecologically relevant features of this organism’s natural existence by shifting our experimental focus away from “domesticated” strains and towards “wild” members of the species.  We have recently amassed a large collection of globally diverse B. subtilis isolates in order to assess both phenotypic and genotypic variation among members of this species.  The information gained from this analysis has helped to shape hypotheses concerning B.subtilis’ ecology and evolution that we are now testing in the laboratory.