Includes a revised taxonomic outline for the phyla Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Chlamydiae, Spirochetes, Fibrobacteres, Fusobacteria, Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Dictyoglomi, and Gemmatimonadetes based upon the SILVA project as well as a description of more than 153 genera in 29 families. Includes many medically important taxa.

From the reviews of the second edition:

"This latest instalment of the new Bergey's adds to an encyclopaedic repository that provides an invaluable resource for all microbiologists, regardless of their areas of interest. ? With its introductory material and indices, this volume approaches 1,000 pages, the quality of the content of which is consistently remarkably high throughout ? and is illustrated with numerous phylogenetic trees and photographs. ? should be available to all microbiology practitioners whether clinical, diagnostic, environmental or biotechnological, and in libraries for general consultation." (Ann P. Wood, Microbiology Today, November, 2011)