Gordonia: isolation and identification in clinical samples and role in biotechnology.

Gordonia spp. are members of the actinomycete family, and the environment, especially soil, is the natural habitat of this genus of bacteria. Gordonia spp. are important for two aspects: first, some Gordonia species cause a broad spectrum of diseases in healthy and immunocompromised individuals; second, these bacteria are capable of producing useful secondary metabolites, which may be used in various industries; therefore, discrimination of the genus Gordonia from other genera in the actinomycete family is important. Phenotypic and molecular techniques are necessary for accurate identification of Gordonia at the species level.