We aimed to investigate the composition and phylogenetic rela-tionships of the viable but non-culturable （VBNC） state bacteria in pharmaceutical wastewater. [Method] Soil filter was used for constructing bioreactor. Based on the resuscitation- and growth-promoting function of Resuscitation Promoting Factor （Rpf） for VBNC bacteria, VBNC bacteria were isolated by most probable number （MPN） method and dilution-plating method and 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis was carried out. [Result] In MPN culture system, Rpf could promote the resuscitation and growth of some bacteria. There were VBNC advantage floras that sensitive to Rpf in pharmaceutical wastewater. The culturable VBNC bacteria in pharmaceutical wastewater consisted of high-GC gram-positive actinomycetes including genera Mi-crobacterium, Gordonia and Leucobacter, and gram-negative bacteria including gen-era Candidimonas, Xanthobacter and Aminobacter. Four strains （ZYM1, ZYM3, ZYZR4, ZYXR1） could be potential novel species. [Conclusion] This research re-vealed there were VBNC bacteria in pharmaceutical wastewater. These results could provide important ideas and methods for further studies on VBNC bacteria in the pharmaceutical wastewater, especial y the formation mechanism and recovery mech-anism of VBNC bacteria and the advanced degradation process improvement of pharmaceutical wastewater.
