Xanthobacter autotrophicus strain Py2 is a nutritionally versatile bacterium with an unprecedented array of metabolic capabilities relevant to the biological sciences emphases of the Department of Energy. Xanthobacter species in general are characterized by their rapid growth rates, ubiquitous distribution in the environment, and metabolic versatility. No genome sequence is currently available for any Xanthobacter species. X. autotrophicus strain Py2 exhibits the following novel metabolic capabilities, each of which is relevant to the field of energy biosciences: chemolithoautotrophy, methylotrophy, short-chain hydrocarbon metabolism, CoM biosynthesis, chlorinated hydrocarbon metabolism, acetone metabolism, metabolism of optically pure epoxides and alcohols, nitrogen fixation, and biosynthesis of biodegradable plastics. Obtaining the whole genome sequence of X. autotrophicus will assist greatly in understand