marine-biofilm strain and genome catalog

Biofilms contain 40-80% of the bacterial and archaeal cells in marine ecosystems. Yet, the majority of marine biofilm microbiota remains uncultured. Here, we provide the first marine-biofilm strain and genome catalog (MBSGC) comprising isolated bacterial strains and their high-quality genomes. The strains were isolated and cultured in the laboratory through three approaches, including the traditional agar plate-based isolation, a single-cell isolation based on limiting dilution and a twitching-based method. The MBSGC covers 754 non-redundant strains, all of which have genomes that are over 95% complete and have less than 5% of potential contamination. In addition, 41.8% of these strains have been assigned to unclassified species, with this ratio being higher than previously documented catalogs.