Microbiology influences human life in both beneficial and harmful ways. Microorganisms are necessary for producing foods and beverages, as well as antibiotics, vaccines, and vitamins. They also play important roles in ecosystems by recycling nutrients and producing natural gas. Microbes can be used to clean up pollution through bioremediation. Microbiology has many scopes including ecology, food/dairy, medicine, genetics, industry, and agriculture. Microbiologists study different types of microbes like viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa.

1. SCOPES OF MICROBIOLOGY
Dr. Sujeet Kumar Mrityunjay, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Life Science
School of Sciences
ITM University,Gwalior (Turari Campus)
Madhya Pradesh-474001 (India)
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Microbes influence human life in countless ways. Sometimes, the influence of microorganisms on human life is
beneficial, whereas at other times, it is harmful. For example, microorganisms are needed for the production of
bread, cheese, yogurt, alcohol, wine, beer, antibiotics (e.g., penicillin, streptomycin, and chloramphenicol),
vaccines, vitamins and enzymes. Microbes are also an important and essential component of an ecosystem.
Molds and bacteria play key roles in the cycling of important nutrients in plant nutrition particularly those of
carbon, nitrogen and Sulphur. Bacteria referred to as nitrogen fixers live in the soil where they convert vast
quantities of nitrogen in air into a form that plants can use. Microorganisms also play major roles in energy
production. Natural gas (methane) is a product of bacterial activity, arising from the metabolism of
methanogenic bacteria. Microorganisms are also being used to clean up pollution caused by human activities,
a process called bioremediation (the introduction of microbes to restore stability to disturbed or polluted
environments). Bacteria and fungi have been used to consume spilled oil, solvents, pesticides and other
environmentally toxic substances.

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SOME IMPORTANCE AND SCOPE OF MICROBIOLOGYARE LISTED AS FOLLOW:-
A. 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. E.g. Bacillus thuringiensis
 Bioremediation: microbes are also used to clean up pollutants and toxic wastes. E.g. Pseudomonas putida; used
to remove petroleum spill.

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B. Food microbiology:-
 Microbes are used in various food and dairy industries to produce various food products such as cheese,
pickles, sauerkraut, green olives, yogurt, soy sauce, vinegar, bread, Beer, Wine, and Alcohol etc.
 In 1856 Pasteur described the fermentation technology.

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C. Medicine: clinical and pharmaceutical microbiology:-
 Disease Treatment: Microbes are used to produce Antibiotics. E.g. Penicillium notatum (Penicillin);
discovered by Alexander Fleming (1928)
 Bacteria also synthesize vitamins which is needed for our body.
 Example:- E. coli synthesized Vitamin-B; which is required for metabolism, Vitamin-K; which is
required for blood clotting
 Gene therapy for treatment of genetic diseases

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D. Vaccine and immunology:-
 Vaccine activates immune response.
 Edward Jenner inoculated people with cowpox to protect against smallpox.
 In 1885, Pasteur developed the rabies vaccine
 In 1890, Von Behring and Kitasato produced toxoid vaccine against diphtheria and tetanus.
 In 1884 Metchnikoff described role of phagocytic cell in defense.

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E. 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, vaccine, antibiotics
and many other useful products for human being.
 Microorganisms are used as model organism in molecular biology.
F. Biochemistry and physiology:
 Microorganisms are used as a model for study of many biochemical and physiological processes.

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G. 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.
 It involves use of microbes to produce antibiotics, steroids, alcohol, vitamins and amino acids etc.

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H. 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.
 The influence of microbes on agriculture; the prevention of the diseases that mainly damage the useful crops.
I. Geochemical microbiology:-
 Bioleaching: recovery of minerals from low grade ores
 Role of microorganism in geochemical cycle
J. Exomicrobiology:- Exploring for life in outer space

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Microbiology has an impact on Environment, Medicine, Agriculture, Food Science , Ecology , Genetics ,Biochemistry,
Ocean etc. Several microbiologists are primarily interested in the biology of microorganisms, Meanwhile others focus on
specific branch of microbiology Such as:
Virologists: Viruses
Bacteriologists: Bacteria
Phycologists : Akgae
Mycologist: Fungi
Protozoologists : Protozoa
Medical Microbiology
Immunology
Agricultural Microbiology
Food & Dairy Microbiology
Cosmetic Microbiology