Name: Methanobrevibacter smithii Balch and Wolfe 1981

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: smi’thi.i. N.L. gen. masc. n. smithii, of Smith, named after P.H. Smith, who isolated the type strain

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: … SMI-t^hi-i, masculine

Type strain: ATCC 35061; DSM 861; OCM 144; PS

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: U55233 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Balch WE, Fox GE, Magrum LJ, Woese CR, Wolfe RS. Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiol Rev 1979; 43:260-296.

IJSEM list: Anonymous. Validation list no. 6. Validation of publication of new names and new combinations previously effectively published outside the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1981; 31:215-218.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name (and explicitly recommended for medical use)

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    "Methanocatella smithii" (Balch and Wolfe 1981) Protasov and Brune 2023	homotypic synonym, not validly published

• Notes:
  • ✏ The authority of the taxon name (Balch and Wolfe) deliberately differs from the authors of the publication (Balch et al.).
  • 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 1". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 1. — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 310 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🙆 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of other species in the genus.

Parent taxon: Methanobrevibacter Balch and Wolfe 1981

Assigned by: Balch WE, Fox GE, Magrum LJ, Woese CR, Wolfe RS. Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiol Rev 1979; 43:260-296.

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Record number: 777826