Megasphaera stantonii strain:AJH120 Genome sequencing and assembly

A novel strain of the genus Megasphaera was isolated during a screen for novel organisms found in the ceca of healthy white leghorn chickens. This is the first isolate of the genus that his been successfully cultivated and characterized coming from a poultry source. This organism appears to be a commensal within the poultry digestive tract and may help to create an environment that prevents pathogen colonization and growth, making it a potential probiotic organism.