微生物学是对微观活生物体的研究：细菌，病毒，真菌，藻类和原生动物。这些生物会对生活的各个方面产生重大影响。由微生物引起的疾病是众所周知的，并且可以涉及病毒（例如流行性感冒和HIV），细菌（例如脑膜炎球菌，葡萄球菌，大肠杆菌）和原生动物（例如疟疾）。我们对这些生物的理解与控制和预防传染病直接相关。免疫学在理解人类和动物如何应对这些致病生物的挑战方面起着关键作用。近年来，微生物学的研究已经被诸如蛋白质组学，基因组学，生物信息学和基因工程等令人兴奋的新技术所革命。因此，微生物学是一门在基础科学和应用科学中极为重
Microbiology is the study of microscopic living organisms: bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae and protozoa. These organisms have a major impact on all aspects of life. Diseases caused by microbes are well-known and can involve viruses (e.g. influenza and HIV), bacteria (e.g. meningococcus, Staphylococcus, E. coli) and protozoa (e.g. malaria). Our understanding of these organisms is directly linked to the control and prevention of infectious diseases. Immunology plays a key role in understanding how humans and animals respond to the challenge of these disease-causing organisms. In recent years, research in microbiology has been revolutionized by new and exciting technologies such as proteomics, genomics, bioinformatics and genetic engineering. Thus, Microbiology is a discipline of enormous importance in basic and applied science.