amycolatopsis orientalis amycolatopsis orientalis amycolatopsis orientalis is a gram-positive bacterium in the phylum actinomycetota. it produces several substances with antimicrobial properties, including the antibiotic drug vancomycin. amycolatopsis orientalis scientific classification domain: bacteria phylum: actinomycetota class: actinomycetia order: pseudonocardiales family: pseudonocardiaceae genus: amycolatopsis species: a. orientalis binomial name amycolatopsis orientalis(pittenger and brigham 1956) lechevalier et al. 1986 type strain atcc 19795cip 107113dsm 40040ifo 12806isp 5040jcm 4235jcm 4600nbrc 12806nrrl 2450uniqem 181vkm ac-866 synonyms nocardia orientalis (pittenger and brigham 1956) pridham and lyons 1969 (approved lists 1980) "streptomyces orientalis" pittenger and brigham 1956 history a. orientalis was originally discovered by edmund kornfeld, an organic chemist at eli lilly and company, in a soil sample gathered by a missionary from forests on the island of borneo. the antibiotic vancomycin was first isolated from the bacteria in 1953.