Clostridium amylolyticum is an anaerobic, endospore-forming bacterium in the family Clostridiaceae notable for its ability to ferment starch (amylon in Greek, giving the species epithet) and other complex carbohydrates to produce organic acids, alcohols, and gases. Like other members of the Clostridium genus, it is a strictly anaerobic rod-shaped bacterium that produces resistant endospores enabling survival in unfavorable environmental conditions, including exposure to heat, desiccation, and oxygen. C. amylolyticum is found in starch-rich anaerobic environments such as soil, sediments, and fermentation systems, where its amylolytic enzymes break down starch polymers into simpler sugars that are then fermented. The genus Clostridium is polyphyletic and has undergone extensive reclassification as molecular phylogenetics revealed it encompasses multiple distinct evolutionary lineages. Amylolytic clostridia have industrial applications in bioprocessing, particularly in biofuel production through simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of starchy biomass feedstocks, and in producing commodity chemicals through anaerobic fermentation.