Microbiologist

Microorganisms (microbes) are very small unicellular and multi-cellular life forms. They include algae, bacteria, fungi, protists, and viruses (the smallest microbes). In agriculture, microbiology has become very useful in crop science and animal health. Microbiologists can do everything from analyzing the soil for the presence of helpful or harmful bacteria to genetically engineering both crops and livestock. Scientists are still discovering ways in which microbes, and the functions that they perform, affect our lives. We’ve even found ways to use microbes to our advantage, as with the process of bioremediation, which uses specific bacteria to consume and metabolize waste, such as in landfills and oil spills.

The job of a microbiologist, no matter what specific field they concentrate on, usually consists of three things: research, development, and prevention. People in this profession can use the microbes they discover, or microbes that are already well-known, to develop solutions to a human health or agricultural problem. They can also focus on finding a solution to a microbe that causes disease, as many bacteria, viruses, and protozoan do.