Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicted a Gram-negative Sebaldella termitidis bacterium, which through the process of cell division, was in the process of becoming two separate organisms. The genome of ATCC 33386 Sebaldella termitidis was sequenced as part of the U.S. Department of Energy - Joint Genome Institute's (DOE-JGI) Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA) project. The GEBA project is aimed at systematically filling in the gaps in sequencing along the bacterial and archaeal branches of the tree of life. Though the wide variety of microbial sequencing projects undertaken throughout the world has created a rich, diverse collection of microbial genomes, strong biases in what has been sequenced thus far are evident. This project represents the first systematic attempt to use the tree of life itself as a guide to sequencing target selection.