Bring your curiosity about microbiology and immunology to the U of M. Microbiologists study the structure, function, and interaction of microbes, which make up 60 percent of the earth's biomass. Regarded by many as the foundation of the biosphere, microbes were likely the first form of life on earth, predating plants and animals by more than three billion years. Microbiologists study the role of microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses in our world and aim to understand how microbes positively and negatively impact human health.
As a student studying microbiology, you will have the opportunity to work alongside faculty and engage in a collective effort to research the enigmas of modern biology and, in that pursuit, learn the technologies that have emerged in the past decade. The community that is the Department of Microbiology is made up of scholars committed to discovering and disseminating knowledge about the microbial world. A key goal of microbiologists is to find new ways to use microbes to our advantage, such as engineering bacteria to synthesize cancer drugs or clean up toxic waste sites, so the work you do as a microbiology student can have a real, positive impact on the world we live in.
The microbiology major will prepare you for advanced work in graduate programs in microbiology and related fields and serves as preparation for careers in the health sciences. Microbiologists find employment in a variety of governmental, industrial, and pharmaceutical fields.
