 It was not cultivated in the lab until 2004.The mapping of "H. walsbyi"'s genome has been completed, giving a better understanding of the organism's genealogy and taxonomy, and the role it plays in the ecosystem.A genomic comparison of the Spanish and Australian isolates (strains HBSQ001 and C23T) strongly suggests a rapid global dispersion, as they are so similar and have retained gene order (synteny).