The Bacillus subtilis genome project: aims and progress.

The members of the bacterial genus Bacillus are important organisms for both research and industrial purposes, and a major international effort is under way to sequence the complete genome of Bacillus subtilis, the type species for this genus. In this article the organization of the project is summarized; the strategies employed for cloning, sequencing and data handling; the progress to date, and the likely benefits which will accrue to basic research and to the biotechnology industry upon completion of the sequence.