Scope of Microbiology

Scope of Microbiology as a Modern Science

Table of Contents

With the development of new laboratory techniques and experimental procedures our knowledge of the characteristics of microbes accumulated rapidly.

Research on microbes gave a booster for the recent developments in genetic engineering and biotechnology scientists from many disciplines recognized the usefulness of microbes as experimental models Thus microbiology played a crucial role in the development of biotechnology.
Microbes like coli facilitated in biotechnology.

Gene cloning in the industrial production of some therapeutics such as insulin, interleukin, calcitonin, etc.
The molecular scissors (Restriction endonucleases) that are used in genetic engineering are isolated from the microbial sources.
The plasmids (small circular extrachromosomal self-replicating DNA) derived from microbes are used as vectors for transferring genes from one organism to another. Ex: PUC18, PBR322, etc.

The bacterium like Agrobacterium tumefaciens can be employed to generate transgenic plants. This bacterium bears Ti (Tumour inducing) plasmids that can be used to transfer the desired genes in to host plant.

Importance and Scope of Microbiology

Microbiology is an applied science that has a great impact on genetics, biochemistry, food sciences, ecology, immunology, agriculture, medicine, and many other disciplines.
Despite their small size they form the largest resource for biotechnology.

Various microbial genera have been used to study their genetics and molecular biology.
“Escherichia coli” is a wonderful colon bacterium that has been extensively studied by biotechnologists. They are used for cloning and Microbes play a pivotal role in human welfare majority of the microbes are useful to mankind but some of them are harmful as they cause infectious diseases in human beings, domestic animals, and crops.

Biotechnology:

Microbes produce very important DNA-manipulating enzymes like REN (Restriction Endo Nucleases) and Ligase. These two are used as molecular scissors and stitches in Biotechnology/ Genetic Engineering.

Some microbes, for example, coli is used as host organism to clone the desired gene for the desired product.

Agriculture:

From the point of agriculture microbes play an important role in the following aspects.
Some microbes can be used as bio-fertilizers to enrich soil fertility.

Some bacteria can fix inert atmospheric nitrogen known as nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Ex: Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Anabaena Some microbes like viruses and bacteria are used as bio-pesticides to protect the crop plants from pest and insect eating.

Industry:

from the point of industry, microbes are extremely useful for the production of industrial chemicals like acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, etc. by the fermentation process.
Microbes also find their importance in the food industry and dairy industries to produce fermented food products.

Microbes also play an important role in the production of ethyl alcohol in the brewing industry.
Microbes also find their importance in the food and dairy industry to produce fermented food products.

Medicine:

From the point of medicine various kinds of antibiotics used to treat pathogenic diseases of man and animals are derived from a microbial group called actinomycetes.

Some heat-killed microbes are used as vaccines against various kinds of pathogenic microbes causing diseases.

Environment:

Microbes help to clean the environment by degrading all kinds of biodegradable waste products. Hence, microbes are regarded as scavengers of nature.
Microbes play an important role in biogeochemical cycles.

Microbes also play an important role in the production of Bio-gas from biological waste products.

Bio-remediation:

Is a method of pollution alleviation using microbes. Several bacteria and fungi are capable of decaying natural waste, toxic chemicals, heavy metals, oil spills, etc.

Bioleaching:

When the ore contains lower metal content, it is difficult to extract them by direct smelting, in such cases some microbes (Thiobacillus species) are used to separate the mineral from crude ores. This process is known as bioleaching or microbial leaching.