Gordonia (bacterium)

Gordonia is a genus of gram-positive, aerobic, catalase-positive bacterium in the Actinomycetota,[2] closely related to the Rhodococcus, Mycobacterium, and Nocardia genera.[3] It is from the same lineage that includes Mycobacterium tuberculosis.[3] The genus was discovered by Tsukamura in 1971 and named after American bacteriologist Ruth Gordon.. Many species are often found in the soil[2] and are rarely known to cause infections in humans.[4] Some investigations have found that 28 °C is the ideal temperature for the growth of Gordonia bacteria.[2] Some species of Gordonia, such as Gordonia rubripertincta, produce colonies that have a bright orange or orange-red color.[2]

Some strains of Gordonia have recently garnered interest in the biotechnology industry due to their ability to degrade environmental pollutants.[5]