Official journal of the ICSP

International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM)

IJSEM is a publication of the BAM division of the IUMS and the ICSP. IJSEM, formerly International Journal Of Systematic Bacteriology (IJSB), is the official journal of record for novel prokaryotic taxa. IJSEM is published by the Microbiological Society. As of November 2017, the Editor-in-Chief is Professor Martha E. Trujillo, University of Salamanca, Spain.

Following the “ICSP Matters” section of the IJSEM is convenient for keeping up-to-date with the activities of the Committee. A listing of relevant publications is provided below.

Official publications

International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP)

The editions of the ICNP are listed on a separate page.

Publications of the Editorial Board for the ICNP

The ICNP Editorial Board regularly announces upcoming debates and votes on proposed amendments to the ICNP. The Editorial Board also reports on the results of these votes. This may include approved changes to the current revision of the ICNP. Official publications of the Editorial Board are listed here in chronological order (most recent first).

2023

• Oren A. Emendation of Principle 8, Rules 5b, 8, 15, 33a, and Appendix 7 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes to include the categories of kingdom and domain. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73:6123.
• Oren A. Emendation of Rules 8, 15, 22, 25a, 30(3)(b), 30(4), 34a, and Appendix 7 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73:6070.

2022

• Oren A, Arahal DR, Göker M, Moore ERB, Rossello-Mora R, Sutcliffe IC. International Code of nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Prokaryotic Code (2022 Revision). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 73:5585. 

2021

• Oren A, Arahal DR, Rossello-Mora R, Sutcliffe IC, Moore ERB. Emendation of General Consideration 5 and Rules 18a, 24a and 30 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes to resolve the status of the Cyanobacteria in the prokaryotic nomenclature. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:4939.
  • Compilation (final) of comments for the ICSP e-mail discussion on the proposals to address the way Cyanobacteria should be treated under the ICNP (01 November 2020 – 31 March 2021)
• Oren A, Arahal DR, Rossello-Mora R, Sutcliffe IC, Moore ERB. Public discussion on a proposed revision of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:4918.
• Oren A, Arahal DR, Rossello-Mora R, Sutcliffe IC, Moore ERB. Emendation of Rules 5b, 8, 15 and 22 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes to include the rank of phylum. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:4851.
  • Compilation (final) of comments for the ICSP e-mail discussion on the proposed inclusion of the rank of phylum in the ICNP (01 November 2020 – 27 February 2021)
• Oren A, Arahal DR, Rossello-Mora R, Sutcliffe IC, Moore ERB. Preparing a revision of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:4598.

2020

• Sutcliffe IC, Dijkshoorn L, Whitman WB. Minutes of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes online discussion on the proposed use of gene sequences as type for naming of prokaryotes, and outcome of vote. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:4416-4417.
  • Compilation (final) of comments for the ICSP e-mail discussion on the use of DNA sequence data as type for naming of prokaryotes (05 January 2020 – 02 March 2020).

The list of publications should be complete for the years covered. If you are aware of a missing publication, please contact the site maintainer..

Proposals to emend the ICNP

These can be produced by any party and are therefore not considered official ICSP publications, although they may be written by ICSP officials (e.g., Tindall 1999). LPSN has an equally unofficial but fairly comprehensive list of nomenclature-related publications, including proposals to amend the ICNP. These can also be found in the "ICSP Matters" section of the IJSEM.

2024  Pallen. Formation of prokaryote names from personal names. IJSEM. 74(1), doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.006233

2024  Arahal et al. Best of both worlds. IJSEM. 74(1), doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.006188

2023  Pallen. Use of connecting vowels after stems ending in the same vowel. IJSEM. 73(12), https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.006191

2023  Oren and Chuvochina. Naming genera after geographical locations. IJSEM. 73(5), doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.005873

Publications of the ICSP Executive Board

Members of the ICSP Executive Board may occasionally publish officially on matters of relevance to the ICSP.

2024  Arahal et al. Proposals to revise the Statutes of the ICSP. IJSEM. (in review)  (Download document)

2022

• Oren A, Göker M, Hahnke RL, Moore ERB, Arahal DR, Nielsen P, On SLW, Rosselló-Móra R, Shouche Y, Sutcliffe IC. ICSP response to "Regulating access can restrict participation in reporting new species and taxa". Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1711-1712.
• Oren A, Göker M, Sutcliffe IC. New Phylum Names Harmonize Prokaryotic Nomenclature. mBio 2022; 13:e01479-22.
• Sutcliffe IC, Arahal DR, Göker M, Oren A. ICSP response to "Science depends on nomenclature, but nomenclature is not science". Nat Rev Microbiol 2022; 20:249-250.
  • Table to accompany Sutcliffe et al. (2022)

2021

• On SLW. Current status and future perspectives of taxonomic subcommittees of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:5046.
• Dijkshoorn L. Minutes of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes. Minutes of the miniplenary meeting, 11 July 2019, Glasgow, Scotland. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:4706.

2020

• Sutcliffe IC, Whitman WB. The van Niel International Prize for Studies in Bacterial Systematics, awarded in 2020 to Tanja Woyke. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:5594-5595.

2019

• Whitman WB, Bull CT, Busse HJ, Fournier PE, Oren A, Ventura S. Request for revision of the Statutes of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:584-593.

2018

• Dijkshoorn L. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes. Minutes of the meetings, 7, 8 and 9 July 2017, Valencia, Spain. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2018; 68:2104-2110.
• Brown DR. Notice of impending dissolution of inactive Subcommittees on Taxonomy. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2018; 68:2102-2103.

2017

• Whitman WB. Proposed revisions of the Statutes of the International Committee of Systematics of Prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2017; 67:2070-2072.

2015

• Labeda D, Whitman WB. Statutes of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes. Subcommittees and the Judicial Commission on Prokaryote Nomenclature of the Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology Division of the IUMS. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 2015; 65:1093-1100.

2013

• The Publications Committee Of The ICSP. Statutes of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2013; 63:4361-4369.

2011

• International Committee On Systematics Of Prokaryotes. The van Niel International Prize for Studies in Bacterial Systematics, awarded by The University of Queensland Awarded in 2011 to George M. Garrity. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2011; 61:2328-2329.

The list of publications should be complete for the years covered. If you are aware of a missing publication, please contact the site maintainer.

Publications of the Judicial Commission

The Judicial Commission mainly issues Judicial Opinions (e.g., 97-99, 100-102). These are too numerous to list here. An unofficial but comprehensive and annotated list of Judicial Opinions can be found on LPSN. Other types of publications of the Judicial Commission (except for meeting minutes) are listed here.

2023

• Arahal DR, Bull CT, Busse HJ, Christensen H, Chuvochina M, Dedysh SN, Fournier PE, Konstantinidis KT, Parker CT, Rossello-Mora R, et al. Guidelines for interpreting the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes and for preparing a Request for an Opinion. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73:5782.

Note that numerous other articles (e.g. Tindall 1999) have explained nomenclatural issues in the past, and that nomenclatural issues are also addressed in IJSEM Editorials, as listed below.

IJSEM Editorials

Editorials in the IJSEM address various issues of importance to the journal and its role in prokaryotic nomenclature.

2023

• Oren A, Göker M. On requests for validation of names published in electronic material that does not provide a permanent record. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73:5809.

2022

• Göker M, Moore ERB, Oren A, Trujillo ME. Status of the SeqCode in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 2022; 72:5754.

2021

• Oren A, Garrity GM, Moore ERB, Sutcliffe IC, Trujillo ME. The International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology moves to "true continuous publication" at the beginning of 2021: Proposals to emend Rule 24b (2), Note 1 to Rule 27 and Note 2 to Rule 33b of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2021; 71:4732.

2020

• Oren A, Garrity GM. New combinations, synonymy and emendations can only be proposed based on names that were previously validly published. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:4419-4420.
• Oren A, Garrity GM. Emendation of circumscriptions of taxa in the Lists of Changes in Taxonomic Opinion. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:2163-2164.

2019

• Trujillo ME, Oren A, Garrity GM. Preparation of the Validation Lists and the role of the List Editors. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:3-4.

2010

• Kämpfer P. Certificates of deposit-a key element of the Bacteriological Code and an indispensable prerequisite for comparative taxonomic research. Report of a case of falsification and a reply to the Letter to the Editor by Tindall (2008). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2010; 60:475-477.

2006

• Tindall BJ, Kämpfer P, Euzéby JP, Oren A. Valid publication of names of prokaryotes according to the rules of nomenclature: past history and current practice. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2006; 56:2715-2720.

The list of publications should be complete for the years covered. If you are aware of a missing publication, please contact the site maintainer. For an Editorial of historical interest, see Stackebrandt (1998).

Publications of the Subcommittees on Taxonomy

A selected list of publications of the ICSP Subcommittees on Taxonomy can be found on their page. LPSN has an unofficial but fairly complete list of meeting minutes and minimum standards published by the ICSP Subcommittees on Taxonomy.

Historical milestones

This is a list of publications that represent major steps in prokaryotic nomenclature.

1996

• Murray RGE. Taxonomic Note: A Rule about the Deposition of Type Strains. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 1996; 46:831-831.

1995

• Sneath PH. Taxonomic note: the potential of dead bacterial specimens for systematic studies. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1995; 45:188-189.
• Murray RG, Stackebrandt E. Taxonomic note: implementation of the provisional status Candidatus for incompletely described procaryotes. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1995; 45:186-187.

1980

• Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved Lists of Bacterial Names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

1951

• Editorial Board. Designation of Nomenclatural Types of Taxonomic Groups: Proposal for the Emendation of the International Bacteriological Code of Nomenclature, Preliminary Statement. International Bulletin of Bacteriological Nomenclature and Taxonomy 1951; 1:126-131.
• Breed RS, Cowan ST. The Subcommittees of the International Committees on Bacteriological Nomenclature. International Bulletin of Bacteriological Nomenclature and Taxonomy 1951; 1:45-46.
• Buchanan RE, Breed RS, Cowan ST. Authorization of a Committee on Bacteriological Nomenclature and of a Judicial Commission: An Amendment to the International Bacteriological Code of Nomenclature: Provisions 4 and 5. International Bulletin of Bacteriological Nomenclature and Taxonomy 1951; 1:27-32
• Editorial Board. Foreword. International Bulletin of Bacteriological Nomenclature and Taxonomy 1951; 1:1-3.

Note that this list does not include taxonomic work, such as Wayne et al. (1987), Winslow et al. (1920) or Winslow et al. (1917).