i

Courses and Careers in

Microbiology

By

Roonal Pritam Kataria

Renu Narendra Jaisinghani

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ISBN: 978-93-86518-36-1

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Printed in India

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About the Authors

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Roonal Pritam Kataria

M.Sc (Microbiology), CSIR- UGC NET

Assistant Professor

Department of Microbiology

Jai Hind College

Churchgate

Mumbai 400 020

Email id: rjroonal@gmail.com

Renu Narendra Jaisinghani

M.Sc (Microbiology), CSIR-UGC NET, DNHE

Assistant Professor

Department of Microbiology

Smt.CHM College

Ulhasnagar, District- Thane

Mumbai: 421 003

email id: renu.nj24@gmail.com

Mrs. Roonal Kataria is into Microbiology teaching since last seven

years. Apart from General Microbiology various other courses taught

by her include Medical Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology,

Biostatistics, Genetics, Food Production and Processing. She is actively

involved in research and has several publications in international

journals.

Ms. Renu Jaisinghani has teaching experience of more than a decade in

diverse fields which includes Microbiology, Pharmacy, Biotechnology,

Food Production and Processing. Along with teaching she is practicing

as Consultant Nutritionist.

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About the book

X

“Courses and Careers in Microbiology” is published on demand of

students. Our Students opting for this course always asked us if they

can make career after studying this course. As our students were not

aware of career options; similar would be the case with most of the

students in India. Therefore, this edition has been brought in market

to make parents and students aware that MICROBIOLOGY IS A

SCIENCE WHICH ONE CAN APPLY DAY IN DAY OUT and

has got tremendous job opportunities.

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Contents

Chapter-1 :: Introduction 1 - 2

Chapter-2 :: Branches of Microbiology 3 - 6

Chapter-3 :: Types of universities in India 7 - 10

Chapter-4 :: Zonal Availability of Courses 11 - 62

North Zone

North East Zone

Central Zone

West Zone

East Zone

South Zone

Chapter-5 :: Specialization Options [Masters] 63 - 78

Microbiology and Immunology

Food Technology

Applied Microbiology

Environmental Science

Biomedical Genetics

Bioinformatics

Biophysics

Biochemistry

Specific Specializations

MBA

Chapter-6 :: Integrated PhD 79 - 80

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Chapter-7 :: Post Graduate Diploma Courses 81 - 84

Chapter-8 :: Biological Sciences Entrance Exams 85 - 88

Chapter-9 :: Summer Trainings 89 - 90

Chapter-10 :: Options Abroad 91 - 98

Chapter-11 :: Fellowship Options Available 99 – 110

Chapter-12 :: Best Job Options In Microbiology 111 – 114

Chapter-13 :: Bibliography 115 -116

1

Microbiology is A Science Which One Can Apply Day in Day Out

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms - bacteria, protozoal parasites, viruses and fungi.

These organisms can only be seen under the microscope but despite their size these

microorganisms, or microbes for short, have a massive impact on our lives. Scientist-writer

Steven Jay Gould (1941–2002) emphasized, we live in the age of bacteria. They were the first

living organisms on our planet, likely created the atmosphere that allowed the evolution of

oxygen-consuming life-forms, and now live virtually everywhere life is possible. Furthermore,

the biosphere depends on their activities, and they influence human society in countless ways.

Because microorganisms play such diverse roles, modern microbiology is a large discipline with

many different specialties; it has a great impact on fields such as medicine, agricultural and food

sciences, ecology, genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology. One indication of the

importance of microbiology is the Nobel Prize given for work in physiology or medicine. About

one-third of these prizes have been awarded to scientists working on microbiological problems.

Microbiology has both basic and applied aspects. The basic aspects are concerned with the

biology of microorganisms themselves. The applied aspects are concerned with practical

problems such as disease, water and wastewater treatment, food spoilage, and food production,

and industrial uses of microbes. It is important to note that the basic and applied aspects of

microbiology are intertwined. Basic research is often conducted in applied fields, and applications

often arise out of basic research.

If one wishes to select microbiology as career, one should be equipped with certain skills

The ability to think logically.

Good problem-solving skills.

High levels of accuracy and good attention to detail.

Excellent spoken and written communication skills.

The ability to work with statistics and relevant computer packages.

Depending upon the kind of job prospectus one chooses. One’s day-to-day duties might include:

Monitoring, identifying and helping to control infectious diseases.

INTRODUCTION

1 Chapter

Courses and Careers in Microbiology

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Using molecular biology techniques to develop and test new medicines and treatments.

Investigating how microorganisms produce antibodies, vaccines, hormones and other

biotechnology products.

Assessing the use of microbes in food production, crop protection and soil fertility

Monitoring the quality and safety of manufactured food and medical products

Using microorganisms to control pollution and dispose of waste safely

One may also have to present research findings, supervise the work of support staff or

carry out administrative tasks.

If you work as a researcher and lecturer in a university, you will be involved in tutoring,

mentoring and supervising students.

As Microbiology is a science with many avenues. It finds application in each and every

facet of life. From simple preservation of food to treatment of dreaded diseases. Because of its

various applications, it has been divided into many branches, depending upon kind of inclination

one has, one can specialize in a particular branch, as discussed in the next chapter.

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There are many diverse branches of microbial study, including Pure Microbiology, Integrative

Biology, and Applied Microbiology (which includes medical, agricultural, environmental, and

ecological microbiology). The subfields of microbiology are diverse because it involves study of

vast diversity of microbial life and diversity of microbe-human interactions. There is considerable

overlap between the specific branches of microbiology with each other and with other disciplines,

and certain aspects of these branches can extend beyond the traditional scope of microbiology.

Pure microbiology: Organized in a taxonomic arrangement (i.e. the type of microbes being

studied)

Bacteriology: The study of bacteria.

Mycology: The study of fungi.

Protozoology: The study of protozoa.

Phycology/algology: The study of algae.

Parasitology: The study of parasites.

Immunology: The study of the immune system.

Virology: The study of viruses.

Nematology: The study of nematodes.

Integrative arrangement: Studies of microbes that integrate other fields of study.

Microbial cytology: The study of microscopic and submicroscopic details of

microorganisms.

Microbial physiology/ Biochemistry: The study of how the microbial cell functions

biochemically. Includes the study of microbial growth, microbial metabolism and

microbial cell structure.

Microbial ecology: The relationship between microorganisms and their environment.

Microbial genetics: The study of how genes are organized and regulated in microbes in

relation to their cellular functions. Closely related to the field of molecular biology.

Cellular microbiology: A discipline bridging microbiology and cell biology. Cellular

microbiology covers topics, such as the modification of cell signaling pathways,

BRANCHES OF MICROBIOLOGY

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Courses and Careers in Microbiology

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interactions between pathogens, tissue and organ responses, host cell structure

exploitation and immune responses.

Evolutionary microbiology: The study of the evolution of microbes. This field can be

subdivided into:

Microbial taxonomy: The naming and classification of microorganisms.

Microbial systematic: The study of the diversity and genetic relationship of

microorganisms.

Molecular microbiology: The study of the molecular principles of the physiological

processes in microorganisms.

Applied microbiology: It refers to the use of knowledge related to practical functions

Medical microbiology: The study of the pathogenic microbes and the role of microbes in

human illness. Includes the study of microbial pathogenesis and epidemiology and is

related to the study of disease pathology and immunology.

Pharmaceutical microbiology: The study of microorganisms that are related to the

production of antibiotics, enzymes, vitamins, vaccines, and other pharmaceutical

products and that cause pharmaceutical contamination and spoil.

Industrial microbiology: The exploitation of microbes for use in industrial processes.

Examples include industrial fermentation and wastewater treatment. Closely linked to the

biotechnology industry. This field also includes brewing, an important application of

microbiology.

Microbial biotechnology: The manipulation of microorganisms at the genetic and

molecular level to generate useful products.

Food and Dairy microbiology: The study of microorganisms causing food spoilage and

foodborne illness. Using microorganisms to produce foods, for example by fermentation.

Agricultural microbiology: The study of agriculturally relevant microorganisms. This

field can be further classified into the following:

Plant microbiology and Plant pathology: The study of the interactions between

microorganisms and plants and plant pathogens.

Soil microbiology: The study of those microorganisms that are found in soil.

Veterinary microbiology: The study of the role of microbes in veterinary medicine or

animal taxonomy.

Environmental microbiology: The study of the function and diversity of microbes in

their natural environments. This involves the characterization of key bacterial habitats

such as the rhizosphere and phyllosphere, soil and groundwater ecosystems, open oceans

or extreme environments (extremophiles).

Water microbiology (or Aquatic microbiology): The study of those microorganisms

that are found in water.

Aeromicrobiology (or Air microbiology): The study of airborne microorganisms.

Public Health Microbiology: The study that deals with the incidence,distribution and

control of disease in population.

Vaccinology: The branch of medicine concerned with the development of vaccines

Branches Of Microbiology

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Chemotherapy: The clinical application of antimicrobial agents to treat infectious

disease.

Few More options:

Nano microbiology: The study of organisms on nano level, and its application in drug

delivery.

Exo microbiology (or Astro microbiology): The study of microorganisms in outer

space.

Weapon Microbiology/ Biological agent: The study of those microorganisms which are

being used in weapon industries.

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