mikrobiologia

Mikrobiologia is the science that studies microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, protozoa, and viruses, as well as the interactions of these organisms with their environments, hosts, and with each other. It covers their structure, metabolism, genetics, growth, reproduction, and evolution, as well as their roles in health, industry, and ecosystems.

Historically, microbiology emerged with the invention of the microscope and gained momentum in the 19th century through the work of scientists such as Anton van Leeuwenhoek, Louis Pasteur, and Robert Koch. Their discoveries established the reality of microbial life, the germ theory of disease, methods to identify microbes, and techniques to control contamination and infection, laying the groundwork for modern medical and industrial microbiology.

Subfields and methods in microbiology include bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology, microbial ecology, and immunology, often intersecting with biotechnology and medicine. Core methods comprise microscopy, culture and staining (for example, Gram staining), aseptic technique, and increasingly molecular tools such as PCR, sequencing, metagenomics, and bioinformatics. Researchers also employ model organisms and culture-independent approaches to explore microbial diversity and function across environments.

Applications and impact of microbiology are broad. Clinical microbiology informs diagnosis, treatment, vaccination, and infection control; industrial microbiology utilizes microbes to produce foods, enzymes, medicines, and biofuels; environmental microbiology studies nutrient cycling and bioremediation; agricultural microbiology examines plant–microbe interactions. Ethical considerations, biosafety, and regulatory frameworks guide research and applications to ensure safe and responsible use of microbial knowledge.