Includes a revised taxonomic outline for the Firmicutes based upon the SILVA project as well as a description of more than 1346 species and 235 genera belonging to the phylum Firmicutes, which are also called the low mol% G+C Gram positive prokaryotes. Major taxa are included are Alicyclobacillus, Bacillus, Clostridium, Enterococcus, Erysipelothrix, Eubacterium, Haloanaerobium, Heliobacterium, Lachnospira, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Listeria, Paenibacillus, Peptococcus, Ruminococcus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Syntrophomonas, Thermoactinomyces, Thermoanaerobacter, Veillonella and 229 additional genera. Includes many medically and industrially important taxa.

Includes a revised taxonomic outline for the Actinobacteria or the high G+C Gram positives is based upon the SILVA project as well as a description of greater than 200 genera in 49 families. Includes many medically and industrially important taxa.

The Planctomycetes, Spirochetes, Fibrobacters, Bacteroides and Fusobacteria. 320 species in 86 genera. As with Volumes 2, 3 and 4, introductory material will be limited to that which is specific to the cultivation and characterization of taxa included in the volume. A brief description of any changes to the "road-map to the taxa" will be included, if required. Volume 5 will also include an update section that details any major revisions in phylogenetic arrangement of bacteria and descriptions of new taxa since publication of Volume 1 of the second edition. Contents will be updated as we approach publication.