DECEMBER 2011% VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 The Microbial Taxonomist A Newsletter Published by Bergey’s Manual Trust Fred A. Rainey Elected to Chair of BMT Fred A. Rainey is a native of Join BISMiS or renew your Belfast, Northern Ireland. He membership today! See forms obtained a BSc(Hons) in at end of this newsletter or Microbiology and Microbial join online at: Technology in 1988 from University www.bergeys.org/bismis.html of Warwick. Fred's doctoral studies were carried out at the Thermophile Research Laboratory at the University of Waikato, VOLUME 5 NEWS Hamilton, New Zealand. In 1991 Fred joined the group of Erko Volume 5 of Bergey’s Manual of Stackebrandt at the University of Systematic Bacteriology, which Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. In focuses on the Actinobacteria, is associate and since 2000 as a 1993, when Erko Stackebrandt in the final stages of production. trustee (and secretary). He has became the Director and CEO of contributed many chapters to This volume is the largest of the German Collection of Volumes 1–5 of the 2nd edition of the three that I have managed, Microorganisms and Cell Cultures Bergey's Manual of Systematic and will be more than 2000 (DSMZ), Fred joined the DSMZ Bacteriology and was an Associate pages in length, with 431 figures and set up the molecular Editor of Volume 3, which covered and 320 tables. Its size is such identification laboratory and the Firmicutes. Since his PhD that it will need to be bound in services. studies Fred has been involved in two separate parts. It was at the beginning of 1997 bacterial systematics and has The first round of proofs was that Fred moved to the United authored or coauthored over 200 sent out to the authors in six States and accepted his first papers in the field as well as some batches beginning in August; I academic appointment at 85 book chapters. Fred's service to compiled their corrections with Louisiana State University in the microbiology has included ours, and scanned and sent the Department of Biological membership of the editorial corrected proofs to our Sciences. At LSU Fred had a boards of Applied and Environ- successful academic career both in mental Microbiology, Microbiology, typesetters, SPi. Revised proofs teaching, research and International Journal of Systematic will arrive early December, and administration. From 2004 to and Evolutionary Microbiology, and each correction will be checked 2008 he served as the Associate Extremophiles. Fred sees his main against the first round. Once the Dean of the College of Basic role as Chair of Bergey's Manual pagination is finalized, the Sciences. In the Fall semester of Trust as facilitating the transition indexes will be prepared, and 2011 Fred was appointed the from the printed book to an up- proofs will be checked again Director of the Department of to-date electronic product that before final approval. Biological Sciences at the will be accessible and useful to all Volume 5 will be published in University of Alaska Anchorage. microbiologists and others early 2012. Fred Rainey has been needing accurate and current associated with Bergey's Manual information. Aidan Parte, Managing Editor Trust since 1997, first as an THE MICROBIAL TAXONOMIST% PAGE 1 DECEMBER 2011% VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 HIGHLIGHTS FROM ANNUAL MEETING IN BEIJING This year the annual meeting of Bergey’s Manual indicated that Paul Lawson (University of Oklahoma) Trust was held in Beijing, China, on 17–18 May. In had agreed to serve as the Associate Editor of The attendance were all six trustees (Jongsik Chun, Paul Bulletin of BISMiS, the first issue of which had been De Vos, Mike Goodfellow, Peter Kämpfer, Fred edited by Jim Staley. This issue will become freely Rainey and Barny Whitman), emeritus trustees Karl available on the BISMiS website once the second issue Schleifer and Jim Staley, and our Managing Editor, comes out. Some speakers who presented during the Aidan Parte. Towards the onset of the meeting they inaugural conference will contribute to the December were joined by Martha Trujillo following her election issue of The Bulletin, whereas others will appear in a as a trustee. Two guests, Ying Huang and Wen-jun Li special issue of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. from the Institutes of Microbiology in Beijing and The trustees agreed that Bergey Medals for life- Kunming, respectively, participated in the open long contributions to prokaryotic systematics be sessions of the meeting. In addition to standard awarded to Zhiheng Liu, Jisheng Ruan, James Tiedje, business, notably reports from the Secretary, and Michael Goodfellow, whose term of office as a Treasurer, and Managing Editor, the primary issue trustee had expired. It was also agreed that addressed was the move toward an electronic Goodfellow become an Emeritus Trustee. The publication of the next edition of Bergey’s Manual of trustees also agreed that Fred Rainey become Systematic Bacteriology. Chairman of the Trust and that Martha E. Trujillo The final arrangements of the inaugural BISMiS replace him as Secretary – see their biographies conference were outlined by Goodfellow who was full elsewhere in this issue. Rainey thanked the trustees of praise for the work done by Lixin Zhang, Liz for electing him as Chairman and thanked Goodfellow Ashforth, and other members of the Local Organising for all that he had done for BMT as a trustee, the Committee to ensure that the meeting was a success. Chair of the Trust and as an Editor of Volume 5. Staley outlined the activities undertaken by BISMiS The next meeting of BMT will be held in over the last year and presented plans for promoting Anchorage, Alaska. the society at the forthcoming conference. He also Attendees of the Trust meeting in Beijing, from left: Jongsik Chun, Ying Huang, Mike Goodfellow, Peter Kämpfer, Jim Staley, Fred Rainey, Karl Schleifer, Aidan Parte, Martha Trujillo, Paul De Vos, Barny Whitman and Wen-jun Li. THE MICROBIAL TAXONOMIST% PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2011% VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 MARTHA E. TRUJILLO ELECTED AS TRUSTEE AND SECRETARY OF BMT Martha Trujillo is Professor of Microbiology at the significant actinomycetes, notably in those which University of Salamanca in Spain. She is best known cause actinomycetoma. for her contributions to bacterial systematics and has Martha was born in León, Mexico, and was published extensively in these fields. Martha is an educated in California before returning to Mexico associate editor of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and the where she gained a BSc in Pharmacy from the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Autonomous Metropolitan University at UAM- Microbiology and serves on several of the Taxonomic Xochimilco, near Mexico City. She was awarded a Subcommittees of the International Committee of PhD in actinobacterial systematics under the the Systematics of Prokaryotes. In addition she is an supervision of Mike Goodfellow at Newcastle associate editor of Bergey’s Manual of Systematic University, Newcastle upon Tyne. Thereafter, she Bacteriology, volume 5, to which she has made carried out postdoctoral work in the Department of substantial contributions. Microbiology at Novartis Pharma in Basel, working Martha’s current research interests are focussed closely with Jean-Jacques Sanglier. In 1998 she was on the taxonomy and ecology of endophytic appointed as a postdoctoral researcher at the actinobacteria, bacterial communities which inhabit University of Salamanca where she has also worked deteriorating stone monuments and on the search as a senior researcher, research assistant, and and interest in furthering the systematics of clinically associate professor before assuming her present position. Martha is married and has two sons. PETER H.A. SNEATH (1923–2011) Peter Sneath was a transformative figure in the field of systematics. Peter had realized in the 1950’s that when strains of bacteria are classified by a reasonably large number of detectable characters (50 or more) you have the basis for a numerical and statistical approach for the recognition of species and strains. It was, he recognized in essence, an approach to genotype before gene and protein sequences were available. the planning, editing and publication of Bergey’s With his colleague Robert Sokal he brought the manuals. Peter was a Trustee of Bergey’s Manual concept to life and into practice in an enormously Trust for 16 years and Chair for 4 years. He important book they coauthored in 1963 entitled enthusiastically supported the reclassification of Principles of Numerical Taxonomy. This book introduced bacteria for the 2nd edition of Bergey’s Manual of taxonomists to a quantitative and statistical Systematic Bacteriology based on 16S rRNA gene treatment of taxa based on phenetic analyses. Their sequence analyses as pioneered by Carl Woese. Peter taxonomic approach applies to species of plants and was a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) and animals as well as microorganisms. This landmark received honorary memberships in other book ushered in a new era of using computers for microbiological societies. He was a man and scientist taxonomy. worth remembering. Peter’s autobiography was Peter was always remarkably well informed, published in 2010 in the first issue of The Bu'etin of perceptive and prepared to think “out of the box”. BISMiS (Volume 1: 77–83). He promoted international and inter-disciplinary For his friends and close colleagues, Peter and his discussions of major issues of taxonomic assignment lovely wife, Joan, were great companions at many as, for example, reclassifying the blue-green algae as formal and informal meetings and all appreciated cyanobacteria along with his equally distinguished every chance to be together with them. colleague Roger Stanier. He was an important cog in Robert G.E. Murray THE MICROBIAL TAXONOMIST% PAGE 3 DECEMBER 2011% VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 JISHENG RUAN RECEIVES BERGEY MEDAL Jisheng Ruan graduated from Beijing Agricultural University in 1953.