ABSTRACT
Clostridium is one of the largest bacterial genera, including more than 160 validly described species. Among these are several with enormous biotechnological potential (e.g., for production of biofuels, bulk chemicals, and important enzymes as well as for usage in cancer treatment) and also a few well-known pathogens. However, some of their toxins proved to be valuable in medical and cosmetic applications. Clostridia, thus, belong to the avant-garde of industrially useful microbes. Members of this genus stain, in general, Gram-positive, are more or less strictly anaerobic bacteria, employ an impressive number of varying fermentation routes, and are able to degrade numerous natural and artificial substances. Due to required precautions for excluding oxygen during handling, clostridia were, for a long time, virtually inaccessible at the genetic level. This situation has completely changed. Gene cloning, DNA transfer, gene expression modulation, and gene knock-out and knock-in systems have been successfully established. Thus, the road is paved for further elucidation and commercial exploitation of the enormous metabolic potential of the clostridia.
