The most important bacillus species in biotechnology

Aerobic spore forming Bacillus and related bacteria have been known for their important impact on human activities. By including bacteria characterized by a high diversity with regard to the G∈+∈C content and genetic and metabolic capabilities, Bacillus and relatives encompass both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria. The second group is represented by several species that have been implicated in various industrial applications. These include industrial production of enzymes with great interest in detergent and food sectors; the production of primary metabolites such as vitamins and ribonucleosides; of secondary metabolites including bacteriocins and biosurfactants and of plant growth promoting formulations. Moreover, recent studies have shown that the aerobic spore formers can produce fine chemicals with interesting biotechnological applications like for example carotenoid pigments and a variety of biopolymers including poly-g-glutamic and lactic acids. These findings open perspectives for new biotechnological applications of Bacillus and related species. In this chapter, we discuss the evolution and ecology of spore formers within the genus Bacillus and report a literature review of the various biotechnological applications of the most important species including some now affiliated to related genera.