Microbiology program

Student

Microbiology is the study of life that is too small to see without a microscope. Bacteria, archaea, viruses, and unicellular eukaryotes occupy every conceivable habitat; from arctic ice to hydrothermal vents, from gastrointestinal tracts to deep rock formations, from pristine lakes to polluted bogs.

Microbiology spans all of biology and provides the foundation for molecular biology and biotechnology. Microorganisms are the cause of many human diseases. A Microbiology program is a popular choice for students with interests in molecular biology, drug discovery, medicine, or biotechnology.

Microbiology programs in the UVic Calendar

Below, we have put together suggested options that will give you an excellent foundation for a career in microbiology.

The goal of molecular pathogenesis research is to identify the molecular mechanisms by which bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms cause infectious diseases, and to understand the mechanisms by which hosts respond to these infections.

Suggested electives

There are a variety of courses that you might wish to consider as electives.  Keep in mind that the core courses for your program are the ones that you will definitely need to graduate, and electives need to fit in your schedule of core courses. The following example of elective choices would give an excellent foundation in this area (MICR - Bacterial Pathogenesis):

Links of interest

Bioinformatics is the use of math and statistical tools in molecular biology; because of the size of data sets, it also involves computer science.

Suggested electives

There are a variety of courses that you might wish to consider as electives. Keep in mind that the core courses for your program are the ones that you will definitely need to graduate, and electives need to fit in your schedule of core courses. Some courses that you may find useful as potential electives in your MICR - Bioinformatics degree include:

Links of interest

The physiology and ecology of microorganisms is such that they affect every aspect of our lives. Environmental microbiology is a term often used to refer to how we use the microbes to help us deal with problems we have created, but they are also the original recyclers and genetic engineers.

Microorganisms play a key role in biogeochemical recycling:

  • bioremediation
  • industrial processes
  • waste water and sewage treatment
  • methane fermentation

Suggested courses

There are a variety of courses that you might wish to consider as electives. Keep in mind that the core courses for your program are the ones that you will definitely need to graduate, and electives need to fit in your schedule of core courses. The following example of elective choices would give an excellent foundation in this area (MICR - Environmental Microbiology):

Links of interest

Synthetic biology is a new field that blends molecular biology and engineering with the objective of creating biological functions not found in nature. Understanding of genetic control and the biology of microorganisms  is being combined with improvements in synthesis of DNA to enable the design and construction of microorganisms with new features. Synthetic biology plays a major role in developing a new generation of biofuels and biological catalysts.

Suggested courses

There are a variety of courses that you might wish to consider as electives. Keep in mind that the core courses for your program are the ones that you will definitely need to graduate, and electives need to fit in your schedule of core courses. The following examples of elective choices would give an excellent foundation in synthetic biology:

Links of interest