10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12 Volume 5 Issue 1 2014 (January - March) A novel bacterial strains were isolated from air samples at altitudes of 30 km. The strain was identified as members of the genus Bacillus. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain indicated a similarity of 98–99% with lessThan i greaterThan Bacillus licheniformis lessThan /i greaterThan and 98% with lessThan i greaterThan Bacillus sonorensis lessThan /i greaterThan . Strain showed 100% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to lessThan i greaterThan Bacillus pumilus lessThan /i greaterThan , but differed from its nearest phylogenetic neighbour in a number of phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics and showed only 55% DNA–DNA relatedness. Therefore, the isolate represented novel species of lessThan i greaterThan Bacillus stratosphericus sp. nov lessThan /i greaterThan . ANANIA ARJUNA stratosphericus sp,Bacillus pumilus 421-428