Microorganisms are the smallest living things, the oldest form of life on earth, ubiquitous in the biosphere and central to many of the essential life processes on earth. In this major you will learn about the uniqueness of microbial biology, its enormous diversity, and the biochemical basis of microbial life. You will examine the diverse roles of microorganisms including the fundamentals of microbial diversity, physiology and genetics. You will focus on microbial processes in natural and managed environments and their effects on human, animal, plant and environmental health. The major will provide you with a fundamental understanding of the various applications of microbes in biotechnology, the food industry, agriculture, and medicine.