scopes of microbiology
Answers
What is the scope of microbiology?
There is vast scope in the field of microbiology due to the advancement in the field of science and technology.
The scope in this field is immense due to the involvement of microbiology in many fields like medicine, pharmacy, diary, industry, clinical research, water industry, agriculture, chemical technology and nanotechnology.
1. Pure microbiology:
i. on the basis of Taxonomical classification
Bacteriology
Mycology
Phycology
Virology
Protozoology
Immunology
ii. on the basis of Integrative characteristics
Microbial cytology
Microbial physiology
Microbial genetics
Microbial ecology
Microbial taxonomy
Cellular Microbiology
Molecular Microbiology
2. Applied Microbiology:
on the basis of application
Medical Microbiology
Veterinary Microbiology
Public Health Microbiology
Industrial Microbiology
Pharmaceutical Microbiology
Agriculture Microbiology
¤ Plant Microbiology
¤ Soil Microbiology
Food and Dairy Microbiology
Environmental Microbiology
Water/Aquatic Microbiology
Aero-microbiology
Microbial Biotechnology
Vaccinology
Chemotherapy
Scope of microbiology
1. Ecology and environment:
Bacteria are primary decomposers – recycle nutrients back into the environment (sewage treatment plants)
Winogradsky and M. Beijerinck studied soil microbes and their role in the biochemical cycles of sulfur, carbon, nitrogen etc.
Insect Pest Control: some bacteria are used as bio-pesticides to control Insects pest. Eg. Bacillus thuringiensis
Bioremediation: microbes are also used to clean up pollutants and toxic wastes. Eg. Pseudomonas putida; used to remove petroleum spill.
2. Food microbiology:
Microbes are used in various food and dairy industries to produce various food products
cheese, pickles, sauerkraut, green olives
yogurt, soy sauce, vinegar, bread
Beer, Wine, Alcohol
Pasteur (1856) describe fermentation technology
3. Medicine: clinical and pharmaceutical microbiology
Disease Treatment: Microbes are used to produce Antibiotics
Eg. Penicillium notatum (Penicillin); discovered by Alexander Fleming (1928)
Bacteria also synthesize vitamins which is needed for our body.
Example: E. coli
Vitamin-B; needed for metabolism
Vitamin-K; needed for blood clotting
Gene therapy for treatment of genetic dsiseases
4. Vaccine and immunology:
Vaccine activates immune response.
Edward Jenner inoculated people with cowpox to protect against smallpox.
Pasteur developed the rabies vaccine (1885).
Von Behring and Kitasato (1890) produced toxoid vaccine against diphtheria and tetanus.
Metchnikoff (1884) described role of phagocytic cell in defense.
5. Genetic engineering:
Microorganisms are used in Recombinant DNA Technology or Genetic Engineering to manipulate their gene for the production of useful products such as enzymes, hormones, interferons, etc
Microorganisms are used as model organism in molecular biology.
6. Biochemistry and physiology:
Microorganisms are used as a model for study of many biochemical and physiological processes.
7. Industrial microbiology:
Microbes are used in economic and industrial purposes.
Biotechnology, fermentation technology, food and beverages etc are now established on large industrial scale for income.
Patients right of procedure
8. Agriculture microbiology:
Genetic engineering is used for the production of transgenic plants and animals.
Animal and plant improvement by biotechnology for better production, resistant to environmental fluctuation.
Molecular farming: transgenic animal or plant are used as bioreactor for mass production
9. Geochemical microbiology;
Bioleaching: recovery of minerals from low grade ores
Role of microorganism in geochemical cycle
10. Exomicrobiology:
Exploring for life in outer space
Fields and scope of microbiology