Main navigation
- Programs
- Subjects
- Universities
- Destinations
- Advice
Microbiology explores living organisms, most invisible without magnification, encompassing fungi, protists, bacteria, and non-cellular entities like viruses and prions. This scientific discipline gained prominence in the late 1800s when researchers identified microbes as sources of infectious illnesses and recognized their vital ecological roles (including in microbiomes) and industrial applications. Research often focuses on treating, managing, or eliminating diseases in humans and animals, while also examining microbes' beneficial contributions to health and survival. Modified microorganisms can enhance food production, develop novel medications and immunizations, and aid in environmental cleanup efforts. However, certain microbes have drawn scrutiny as possible bioterrorism weapons, prompting extensive defensive research.
Biomedical Sciences undergraduates specializing in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases gain expertise in microbial structure, function, genetics, disease mechanisms, environmental interactions, and classification, along with immunological methods. The curriculum features hands-on, hypothesis-testing experiments in lab courses. Foundational studies in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics complement the major. Students frequently participate in lab research, with many presenting findings at academic conferences and securing research funding or scholarships.