Vampirovibrionophyceae

Vampirovibrionophyceae is a class of non-photosynthetic cyanobacteria.

Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus is the only species of the class that has been grown in cell culture. Candidatus species of melainabacteria have been discovered through DNA and RNA sequence analysis of samples from soil, the human gut, and various aquatic habitats such as groundwater. By analyzing genomes of melainabacteria, predictions are possible about their cell structure and metabolic abilities. The deduced structure of the bacterial cell is similar to cyanobacteria in being surrounded by two membranes. It differs from cyanobacteria in its predicted ability to move by flagella (like gram-negative flagella), though some members (e.g. "Candidatus Gastranaerophilales") appear to lack flagella. It is predicted that melainabacteria are not able to perform photosynthesis, but obtain energy by fermentation.