Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of Bacillus Isolated from Soil at 1^st Pit Site of Emperor Qin's Terracotta Warriors

Bacillus bacteria are widely distributed around the world.This study examined the diversity of Bacillus in the pit soil at Terracotta Warriors site and the geographical distribution of the bacteria in the specific environment.Soil samples were collected from the 1st pit of the Terracotta Warriors and subjected to a temperature screening and dilution plating to obtain 10 strains of Bacillus.These strains were subsequently identified by their 16S rRNAs to belong to 4 species and two possibly new Bacillus species.The 16S rRNA similarity among the strains was more than 99%.Thus, abundant Bacillus species were found to exist in the soil of the Terracotta Warriors site, and that the geographic distribution enriched the national microbial resource.