sphingobacterium thermophilum sphingobacterium thermophilum sphingobacterium thermophilum is a gram-negative and strictly aerobic bacterium from the genus of sphingobacterium which has been isolated from compost. sphingobacterium thermophilum scientific classification domain: bacteria phylum: bacteroidota class: sphingobacteriia order: sphingobacteriales family: sphingobacteriaceae genus: sphingobacterium species: s. thermophilum binomial name sphingobacterium thermophilumyabe et al. 2013 type strain jcm 17858, kctc 23708, cktn2