Micellar Antibiotics of .

Members of the genus, particularly the " group", are known to produce amphipathic lipopeptides with biosurfactant activity. This includes the surfactins, fengycins and iturins that have been associated with antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-viral properties. We have screened a large collection of , isolated from human, animal, estuarine water and soil samples and found that the most potent lipopeptide producers are members of the species .