Fields and scope of microbiology




Fields and scope of microbiology

Fields or branches:

Microbiology has two major fields

  1. Pure Microbiology
  2. Applied Microbiology

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
    1. cheese, pickles, sauerkraut, green olives
    2. yogurt, soy sauce, vinegar, bread
    3. 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