Bacillus subtilis
| Bacillus subtilis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| TEM micrograph of a B. subtilis cell in cross-section (scale bar = 200 nm) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Bacillota |
| Class: | Bacilli |
| Order: | Caryophanales |
| Family: | Bacillaceae |
| Genus: | Bacillus |
| Species: | B. subtilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg 1835) Cohn 1872 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Bacillus subtilis, known also as the hay bacillus or grass bacillus, is a Gram-positive, catalase-positive bacterium, found in soil and the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants, humans, and marine sponges.
Bacillus subtilis is motile and amylase-positive. It forms biofilms through the formation of extracellular polymeric matrix containing sugars and proteins.
As a member of the genus Bacillus, B. subtilis is rod-shaped and can form a tough, protective endospore, allowing it to tolerate extreme environmental conditions. It historically has been classified as an obligate aerobe, though evidence exists that it is a facultative anaerobe. B. subtilis is considered the best-studied Gram-positive bacterium and a model organism to study bacterial chromosome replication and cell differentiation. It is one of the bacterial champions in secreted enzyme production and used on an industrial scale by biotechnology companies.