Microbiology as a career
If you have cleared your 10+2, and are choosing for a career option in science other than a doctor or being an engineer, we can help you. There are various such career options that can be persuaded in the field of science with graduation, diploma, and certificate courses.
The list of Microbiology Courses is given below:
- Sc (Science)
- Post Basic BSc Nursing
- Sc (Life Science)
- Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharma)
Best Career Options in Microbiology
Scope of Microbiology as a career
One such upcoming option in the field of science is Microbiology, which can be opted as a career. Microbiology has considerably progressed a lot in the last few years making students rush in this field. So let’s learn more about it.
Microbiology Definition
Microbiology is a field of life sciences which deals with those microscopic organisms that can’t be seen through naked eyes. Those also include bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi, and many other organisms that are not usually visible. In simple words, microbiology believes in the existence of that flora and fauna that even cannot be seen with naked eyes.
Types of Microbiology or Branches of microbiology
Microbiology also has a wide range of subsidiaries which can be chosen as a career including pharmacology, bacteriology, virology, medical sciences, molecular biology, genetics, and also immunology. Microbiology provides job opportunities in the dairy industry, clinical research, agriculture, drug production, pharmacy, and lab technician and even now a day’s nanotechnology has opened scope in microbiology.
A person who graduated or post-graduated with microbiology as a subject is called Microbiologist. In different work areas, microbiologist plays a different role. In the food industry, microbiologist is hired for quality control check which ensures the food safety for the public. Other than this in hospitals, microbiologist is offered a variety of jobs which also includes lab technician and clinical research.
What does a Microbiologist do in Hospitals?
Hospital microbiologist works as a lab technician in a clinical and medical laboratory where microbiological samples are collected. If you have ever visited the pathology labs near you, they are distinguished between two subjects as Biochemistry lab and Microbiology labs.
Biochemistry labs are used for the prescribed sample which tells you the analysts in your body while that Microbiology labs work with the samples like blood, urine, stool, etc to let you know about the reasons for infection but both the jobs can be carried out by the same person.
Microbiologist in the hospitals uses chemicals, machines, and other materials that nurture the micro-organism for a complete analysis of the infection, which helps medical personnel to diagnose the disease for treatment. But to protect them from illness, they are provided with certain protective gear, clothing, and necessary sanitizations that are conducted on a regular basis.
Every laboratory has to follow the universal safety rules which are also the responsibility of the microbiologist working in it. However, microbiologists can also perform research work which is specifically done with a goal and for scientific knowledge.
Career Requirements:
There are many bachelors, masters and Ph.D. courses available that can be pursued in this field
Bachelor’s degree
- In Microbiology or related field.
- In Clinical Microbiology.
Master degree
- In Microbiology.
- In Clinical Microbiology.
Specialization in Microbiology / Ph.D. can be done
- Microbial genetics
- Virology
- Immunology
A Ph.D. holder in any of the specialized topics related to these can also perform individual laboratory and research work. If you are aspiring to enter this field, the basic requirement is a degree in microbiology. Other than this, certificate courses are also available in clinical laboratory techniques that may help you become more efficient in laboratory works. Other than this, an internship with any microbiology lab as a technician can also benefit you.
In some of the states, technologists working is to be registered and licensed by the state government. Some of the certification courses and exams are also conducted which can help you in the laboratory and even if they do not provide employment, they can help in the up-gradation of knowledge.
Microbiologist Salary
A degree holder microbiologist earns between 2-3 lakh per annum. Depending upon the sector and project you are working on, this value may vary.
If you work in private sectors, the salary range may vary from that of government which also provides a handsome salary with other benefits. A Ph.D. holder may get paid more than the technicians and degree holders.
Best Colleges for Microbiology are given below:
- University of Hyderabad
- Savitribai Phule Pune University
- Parul University
- Lovely Professional University
- Jaipur National University
- Amity University
- SOGS, Bangalore
Other than this, most of the colleges provide microbiology education that can also be done to enter this field.
Syllabus for Microbiology (approx)
The syllabus for any microbiologist includes various sub-subjects that can be carried forward for masters and Ph.D. During graduation, the subjects are common for everyone, later some of the universities provide education in one of the subjects.
For under-graduates, microbiology is a subject associated with any of these- chemistry, botany, zoology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics. During graduation, microbiology includes the basic knowledge of micro-organism, their importance in nature, their importance in different industrial and regular life, their growth, and diversity of species.
When post-graduate choose their subject as Microbiology, they get divides into sub-subjects like Virology, molecular biology, immunology, enzymology, recombinant DNA technology, Microbial genome, and bioinformatics, etc. Specialization in different subjects can offer you jobs in a different area of industries.
- For a person studying virology; ‘Virologist’ works along with NIV centers into research and relative work of viruses.
- For a person studying Food and Dairy Microbiology, it offers you a job in Food and dairy industry as quality control and checks officer.
- If one studies Pharmaceutical microbiology, you can apply for the industries involved in medicine and drug designing.
- If you wish to work along with hospitals, a study of clinical laboratory techniques and general microbiology is enough. You may be called as Clinical Microbiologist. It doesn’t take specialization except you need to be keen in laboratory instruments, their working and basic knowledge about the test to be done for the patients. Along with that, you should be known with the different types of micro-organisms that are involved in infections and diseases. One should be keen enough to know the difference between commensals (which are normally present in your body without harming you) and infective organisms.
Duties of Microbiologist or Microbiology Jobs
In any sector of work, microbiologist has some rules to follow and responsibilities to look upon. But the prime duties of microbiologists working in hospitals have the responsibility of the patients coming to them.
- Being a microbiologist you should know the organism well to know the cause of disease.
- You need to isolate and culture the new organism (if not identified) for further studies.
- You should take care about the sanitization of laboratories and the instruments to take care of the technicians working with it.
- Harmful organisms should be worked with safe practices and kept safe enough so that it cannot infect the technicians.
- The most important duty of microbiologists is to identify the correct cause (organism) of the infection as the treatment depends upon the reports of pathology.
- The samples should be processed soon after collection so that reports can give accurate results.
Today during this pandemic, Covid-19, microbiologist is playing a prime role from identification to its remedy in the form of vaccines. The scope in this field will increase in the near future and this can be a great career option for you. Today, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) allots various job offers in various subjects which involve the research study of micro-organism to its remedy vaccines.
