Box 2 New species announcementsCult

Box 2 New species announcementsCulturomics is an efficient strategy for isolating unknown microorganisms. When an isolate is not identified by MALDI-TOF after three attempts, sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene is performed. If the similarity to the closest official strain is less than 98.65%, then the isolate could be a new species. The number of new species identified using the culturomic strategy can vary from 1 to 25 per week. Indeed, a new rapid method has been developed to publish a new species that includes information on the main taxonomic and phenotypic characteristics of new species. Thus, a ‘new species announcement’ is a new article format that briefly describes the origin of samples from which strains were isolated and the primary growth conditions115. The main morphological characteristics are described, including the size and morphological aspect (that is, such as colour and shape) of colonies and the size and Gram staining of the cells. The presence of catalase and oxidase activities is also noted. The taxonomic classification of the newly studied species is shown on a phylogenetic tree, which is presented as a figure showing the localization of the species within its phylum. The results of the 16S rRNA gene similarity analysis, which identifies the most closely related species with a valid published name, are also mentioned. Lastly, the etymology of the name for the new species is presented. The new species announcement is an efficient method for quickly publishing new species as it is not possible to sequence new species, annotate their genomes and publish their complete descriptions at the same speed as their discovery by culturomics. All the complete descriptions, including genome sequencing, are performed later.