Microbiologist

It is never too early to start the process of building a microbiologist career. An interest in things around you would have shown in childhood and later, in high school, taking the right subjects such as biology, physics, chemistry and math is the direction to go. Joining a science or similar club in high school and becoming involved or joining outside scientifically related societies are a big help.

A bachelor's degree in microbiology or alternatively, biology is the next step in college. Programs would include computer science, statistics and laboratory work. A bachelor's degree would be a portal to finding work as a research or laboratory assistant.

Wherever your particular interest lies or what your specialist subject should be, usually biochemistry or botany. Biochemists study the chemical components of living things while botanists study plant life.

An advanced degree such as a master's at least is required for independent research projects and a Ph.D. is necessary for teaching in universities.

The American Society for Microbiologists provides information on fellowships and grants.

Microbiology is the study of microscopic organisms and covers a massive range of life forms ranging from yeast and protozoa to algae and viruses. This study is aimed at helping us to better understand the world around us, how we can better interact with and live in harmony with it and how to better understand what causes illness and how to deal with it.

The discovery of viruses in the 20th century was a recent move forward and microbiology today is wholly accredited with important work and progress in relation to human illness.

Medical microbiology is only one aspect of the science. Biology, botany, genetics, physiology, environmental studies, pharmaceutical studies, all comes under the same general umbrella. Correctly titled categories include bacteriology, the study of bacteria; botany, study of plants, mycology, study of fungi, phycology, study of algae; parasitology, study of parasites; virology, study of viruses.

Researchers records from as early as the 17th century has shown that tiny bacteria could be observed through a basic microscope. Since then, the interest in microscopic life has increased to the extent where they are studied scientifically and with passionate dedication for it is understood that many of the answers to how they live, survive and procreate will be of immense use to mankind. This study falls under physiological microbiology.

Other applications of the study of microbes may be found in food production. Yeast is an example of an interesting life form which is used in the making of bread. The study of yeast explains how and why it works in bread and why it sometimes doesn't when the bread fails to rise.

Microbiology is still in early stages of development. The scientific world believes that 99 percent of microbes on Earth are yet to be studied. Scientists also believe that the mysteries of life and existence with which we are still faced, will eventually be resolved with the continued study of micro-organisms.

Microbiologists are employed in many fields and by a huge variety of organizations, industries and companies. The federal and state government agencies are among key employers. Hospitals, universities, laboratories and research institutions in different fields, all employ microbiologists.

You probably would not be interested in microbiology at all had you not been fascinated by what constitutes everything around you, particularly in nature. As a child you would have been running around examining everything with a magnifying glass and eventually you probably would have convinced your parents to buy you a microscope.

The skills and qualities would be an innate desire to know what things are composed of, how and why.

You need good eyesight and an unerring eye. Infinite patience when researching microscopic particles and making the same tests repeatedly. It therefore is important to have a grounded character so that no hasty or excited conclusions are reached prematurely.

In order to stay up to date with what is happening in the microbiological world, reading professional journals, going to relevant lectures and being aware of latest research, is important.

The average microbiologist salary was $57,980 per annum. The middle 50 percent earned between $49,000 and almost $90,000. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,000 and the highest 10 percent took home more than $108,000.

Acknowledged as the Father of microbiology, Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) French chemist and biologist founded the science with his discovery of germs and his invention of pasteurization.

German physician Robert Koch (1843 -1910) is renowned for discovering the tuberculosis bacteria in 1882 and cholera in 1883. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1905 for his tuberculosis discoveries.

Ferdinand Julius Cohn (1828-1898), Prussian, was the first to name bacteria as plants, dividing them into four types: micro bacteria, sphaerobacteria, desmobacteria and spirobacteria. He received his botany degree when he was only 19 years of age.

David Karl is the professor of oceanography, at the University of Hawaii. It was he who set up the laboratory for microbial oceanography in the early 1980s which has since become a major research and training unit. Later Karl also established an ongoing research program which investigates how climatic changes affect marine life. In 2006 Karl was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences.

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is the largest single life science professional organization in the world with about 45,000 members worldwide. The ASM was established in 1899 but was originally called the Society of American Bacteriologists. This was changed in 1960.

Some aims of the ASM are to support education, training and public information programs related to microbiology, to publish journals and books (it publishes 11 journals a year), to organize and monitor meetings and workshops, to promote the contributions of the microbiological sciences, to recognize achievement among members.

The top cities for Microbiology careers are Ann Arbour, Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Fresno, Houston and Lansing.