Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology

Professor of bacteriology David Hendricks Bergey and four coworkers displayed a bacterial categorization system for identifying bacterial species in 1923 and bacterial nomenclature has experienced numerous variations and is always in flux. 

Bergey taught in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, until he went to the University of Pennsylvania to pursue his education. He graduated with a B.S. and M.D. in 1884 and worked as a physician until 1893. In 1894, he was appointed Thomas A. Scott fellow in the Laboratory of Hygiene at the University of Pennsylvania, where he had previously worked. He earned a doctorate in public health in 1916, taught hygiene and bacteriology in the university’s undergraduate and graduate schools, became director of the laboratory in 1929, and held other positions at the university until his retirement in 1932.

The Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology 

Since the first edition was published in 1923, it has become a commonly used reference and consists of Bergey’s manual of bacteriology.

• Between 1923 and 1994, multiple versions of Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology categorized bacteria based on phenotypic features. 
• Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology was the first edition and was published in four volumes between 1984 and 1989, the second version, which was published in five volumes between 2001 and 2012, aimed to organise bacterial species according to known phylogenetic relationships, a method that was continued in the second edition.
• They did, however, prove to be very useful in detecting unknown bacterial cultures. Researchers to identify the isolates in the lab, use the most recent version of Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, which was initially published in 1994 and reprinted in 2000.
• The arrangement of Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology makes it difficult to classify unknown bacteria into key groups, but it also includes a wealth of information on the genera, families, and species than the Determinative manual.
• Instead of categorizing bacteria based on evolutionary relatedness, the guideline offers characterization schemes based on factors such as cell wall composition and size.
• This book’s 19 components for bacteria are based on energy and carbon supply characteristics.

Phenetic Classification (First Edition) in Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology: 

The first edition of Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology is phenetic, that is, it is divided into four volumes and is based on the inherent phenotypic traits of microorganisms. Four volumes make up this edition.

Each of the 33 sections of the four volumes contains prokaryotes with a few easily distinguishable characteristics and a title that either defines these properties or gives the prokaryotes’ common names.

Sections are usually distinguished by characteristics such as overall shape and morphology, Gram staining qualities, oxygen interactions, motility, the presence of endospores, the method of energy production, and so on.

The Second Edition of Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology

Prokaryotic taxonomy advanced dramatically following the publication of the first edition of Bergey’s Manual of Systematic of Archaea and Bacteria. It was made possible by the use of newer molecular techniques like ribosomal RNA and DNA sequencing. These methods have made it possible to conduct phylogenetic analysis on prokaryotes.

Due to the availability of extensive knowledge about phylogenetic relationships among prokaryotes, the 2nd edition of Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology is predominantly phylogenetic relative to phenetic.

As a result, the features used to classify objects in the second edition differ significantly from those used in the first. In contrast, the second edition is divided into five sections. Its first volume was published in 2001, and it was followed by the second book in 2005, as well as three additional volumes.

 All isolates will be observed

 The terms Gram-positive and Gram-negative are used to describe whether something is positive or negative. The result of the Gram stain (negative or positive) is the most significant factor in distinguishing the important taxonomic group. Otherwise, your identification effort could be all wasted and you have to start from the beginning.

The relationship between oxygen and food. You must determine whether your isolate is an obligate aerobe, which requires oxygen to grow, a facultative anaerobe, which can grow without oxygen, or a microaerophilic, which can grow without oxygen. Microaerophils are uncommon, but they will thrive in our lab because they can only grow in the presence of low oxygen partial pressures. There will be no obligatory anaerobes, it also cannot grow in the presence of oxygen.

 Conclusion

“Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology” is a Schizomycetes classification system used by all bacteriologists and has a global reputation. It’s based on the International Committee of Bacteriological Nomenclature’s International Rules of Bacteria and Virus Nomenclature, established in 1947. It was a monumental work representing the collaborative efforts of over 100 of the world’s best microbiologists when it was assembled.

According to Bergey’s manual, the total number of bacteria species is around 1500. These are classified into ten orders based on morphological characteristics and flagella type.