All of the strains are non-phototrophic bacterial symbionts of lichens and were selected for the present study as early studies indicated they might possibly represent novel species.
Allir stofnarnir eru ljósóháðar sambýlisbakteríur íslenskra fléttna og gaf fyrri bráðabirgðagreining vísbendingar um að stofnarnir gætu verið af áður óþekktum tegundum.