Microbiology

Virology, which is the study of viruses & virus-like-agents, known as Virulogy earlier. The taxonomy, virulence, molecular virology & medical aspects in anti-viral therapies and the current use of viruses in nano-biotechnology is explored by the the field of Virology. Although a small field in microbiology, but it is a vast field by itself, cause the study is not only limited to the viruses, but also the applications of viruses along with other microbes as well.  A huge field it is, that the sub-field of Virology is itself a huge field of study. By the use of virulence the perspectives of Viruses have always revolved; The beneficial aspects is explored by researchers and industries. Most important beneficial aspect of these viruses has been evolved in the field of viral therapies.

Veterinary Microbiology which is an important platform, gives veterinarians and microbiologists an inter-disciplinary forum, so that they can study various aspects of the infections which is caused by the pathogenic microorganisms. Bacterial, viral & fungal infections is developed in the animals, specially cattle by providing an in-depth understanding of ramifications of the microbial infections on the well-being of the animal, human health, and the economy. Primarily  it deals with the diagnosis of diseases of the animals. This field, which   deals with the ethics, animal husbandry, epidemiology, infection control, , and dairy technology.

Microbiology 101 says that Microorganisms are everywhere. Microbes which is seen on/at/in every surfaces, bodies- dead or alive, clean or unclean, in air, water, soil, ice glaciers, bedrocks, on the surfaces of volcanoes. microbes are not only seen in our atmosphere. Microbes has been detected even in outer space as well, gave rise to the field of exo-microbiology. Exo-microbiology which deals with the study of microbes and their interactions in the outer space. Microbes, also called as bio-tools, in the environment chemically interact with their surroundings thereby oxidizing the atmosphere on the planet. These type of interactions are crucial and are called the biogeochemical cycle  that is basically the foundation of the life on the planet. The bio-geochemical cycles can occur cause of the elements- carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulphur (S). Those microbes is convert the organic matter present in the dead and decaying materials viz., plants, dead animals and excreta, wastewater, landfills, composters, natural terrestrial environments, and natural/ artificial aquatic eco systems into the gases, are needed for the sustenance through the means of bio-geochemical cycle.

Agricultural microbiology  which is the most important field of Microbiology for the economic and medical importance it holds. This field explores various aspects like the genetics, physiology, molecular biology, virulence & pathogenicity and other aspects of the plant microbes. It deals with the infectious agents of the microbes, improvements and resistance of the agricultural crops, economic importance and the beneficial aspects of the normal agricultural flora. A complete study and understanding is crucial in application of the microbes for augmentation of soil nutrients, which is increasing the resistance of plants against the plant pathogen, for understanding the interaction a microbe has with the plant, and crop robustness.

The soils are rich and fertile for the presence of the number of microbes in them, By maintaining the balance of various elements and nutrients and also the density of the soil it feed on the numerous organic and in-organic substances, living and non-living organisms thereby. This is the primary agenda behind the study of Soil Microbiology. However, this is the  one thing that should be noted is that it is not only the soil, plant and animal remains in the soil that make it rich in nutrients, rather it’s the microbes, and their active metabolism, their inter-relationship & inter-dependency with the soil that increases the soil fertility. Soil is the most vibrant and natural ecological platform of microbial interactions due to the presence of the ever-favourable conditions is dictated by Soil Microbiology 101 . It allows the active biochemical, biological, molecular and physical reactions to take place uninterruptedly. 

Food Microbiology & Industrial Microbiology these are the primarily inter-dependent on each other. One cannot work without the other. The open use of the microbes in all the major industries, such as the dairy, food and beverage, leather, textiles, among others, are a major part in the Industrial Microbiology. Microbes, mostly bacteria are regarded as biotechnological "reactors" in countless processes such as, the protein,  food and beverage production, tanning etc. fermentation processes , mostly intracellular and/or extra cellular enzymes, microbial cells  and microbial biomass  also the chemicals produced by microbes. In Food Microbiology, one almost always sees it as a complication. Microbes in food and beverages, are quite beneficial- mostly! Food Microbiology , which is  the application of microbes in various industrial processes such as, production, fermentation or processing of foods. The complexity of using inter-microbial species in the processes, ethical and food safety issues in the molecular manipulation in food engineering  is done with the challenges. The most essential by-products of the beneficial bacteria that inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in our digestive system is called as  Probiotics , as well as Prebiotics are the un-digested carbohydrates of our ingested food, which is  cannot be absorbed by the human intestines- thereby they are utilized as foods of the probiotic bacteria. Miso soup, sauerkraut, yogurt, fermented, soft cheeses and sourdough bread and buttermilk these are the best sources of probiotics .

Pure Microbiology which provides a major platform of a large plethora of research and plenty of new insights into different areas of Microbiology.  There are different branches of Microbiology such as, mycology, Virology, Immunology, infectious diseases , bacteriology, nematology, parasitology, etc. In against of pathogenic bacteria which can we used that is  antibiotics either orally or paternally. The USA has about $66.28 billion worth of antibiotics that are manufactured annually , is expected to attain $75 billion by the end of 2018. During the period of 2006-2012, There was an annual growth of about 6-7%  and is still growing gradually. the drugs and antibiotics have been on the steep rise and have been a fodder in Industries manufacturing for the growing economy as well: Global demand of antibiotics is approx 78% with penicillin having 10%, erythromycin being 9%, tetracycline with 3%, and chloramphenicol about 1.4%.

We all heard about the terms, yeast, molds and fungi. these are the eukaryotic microorganisms and with them this study is called Mycology. During classification, Fungi have been given their own separate kingdom. Fungi are multi-faceted which  are distributed entire the world, It can also grow in a large variety of habitats and can survive even the most critical conditions- which include  the intense temperatures both cold & super-hot. Either in the very cold Arctic Oceans, ice glaciers, or places with extreme salt concentrations, or with ionizing radiation they can grow and yes, also the desert and arid areas. Fungi, plays an important role in the organic matter decomposition, nutrient exchange and bio-geo chemical cycling. There are very few fungal species produce toxic bioactive compounds called mycotoxins  are mostly neurotoxins,

mycology was important for it's industrial and antibiotic applications, but in present years, Medical Mycology is gaining more importance. It is the study of disease causing and as well as other medically important fungi with their interactions with the host-cells.

Algae study is called as  Phycology . these are the primary producers in the aquatic ecosystem , are extremely essential in the growth of microorganisms in the water eco-systems. In earlier, they were considered to be true plants, but after serious studies, It is found to be pseudo-plants, hence given a separate classification.  In most cases, algae are single-celled and only few species are multicellular.   phytoplanktons and microalgae are a type of algae, with some species of algae  being large, capable of growing into seaweeds .

According to microbiologists the nematodes parasites are "the most numerous animals on Earth" with about 80,000 prevailing and recognized species which are only 40% of all the nematodes on earth. Generally It Is seen in the water bodies- oceans and freshwater and sometimes also in the loamy soils. Basically they are found as internal parasites in the digestive system, generally intestines in humans and animals. thread worms  is the most prevalent and commonly seen nematodes with small parasites, Either at the anterior end or at the posterior end the mouths of these nematodes are seen, by the gut being a non-muscular straight tube near the anus. Unlike other worms, roundworms ,thread worms do not exhibit hermaphroditism i.e. the sexes are different and not present in the same parasite. Cilia are absent, and so are the respiratory system and a circulatory system is there. Protozoology, which  is the study of protozoans, With Antonie von Leeuwenhoek in his first microscope  the single-celled eukaryotic organisms, the same organisms which were first studied and observed

The branch of Microbial parasitology, deals not only with, but also with the numerous other such associations with the organisms that sustain both outside and inside of our body Symbiosis . symbiosis  is the way of life. Symbiosis is an association between two organisms, that are beneficial to them both., also called as host, hence the name host-pathogen interaction not only within parasites & microbes, but also with humans; These type of interactions commonly take place between a parasite and a host, where the parasites takes dual nourishment with the host playing a major role by supporting the parasite, are either helminths, protozoan and arthropods, which although  parasites, but do not harm the human body, rather some of them assist the body in continueing its biological systems. They do not cause any major damage , but they are very opportunistic parasites, for that major damage is happened to the host system primarily when the body’s defence system is getting weak.  

It all starts with the microbial cultures. The first or the basic thing that any microbiology research begins with the characterization of the microbes- it’s identification, physiology and genomics. It also goes for the identification of either a pathogenic or a non-pathogenic and also a beneficial microbe first characterization will be the ability of the microbe to grow and develop in a specific media, for differentiating the pathogenic microorganisms and a non-pathogenic microbes by a streak plate method. So, It is quite obvious that most of the pathogenic bacteria can grow on any given nutrient media,  in Blood Agar Medium, which will assist us in the identification of the bacteria, and its further genomic classification especially seen during  the addition of blood,. Which, takes later on us to the physiology of the microbes, here it observes the time of the cell division, type of the cell division, and the type of the bacteria, and  they are autotrophs or heterotrophs, and the major nutrients, growth factors & environmental factors required for its growth and which ones have a negative impact on its growth.

In the field of Microbiology, Medical Microbiology has achieved numerous breakthroughs by it’s constant updates and adapting itself to various futuristic approaches, to suit the need of patients, outbreaks and the need to address the immediate crisis that arises. It generally helps in the diagnosis of pathogenic microbes, their identification, assistance in the treatment and monitoring the dosages of the antibiotics and the extent of antibiotic resistance. In time of studying a medically important microbe are the physical & biological properties, Bio-chemical properties, pathogenesis, Diagnostic tests, resistant properties, and prognosis.  Molecular Microbiology  which deals with the 3 major disciplines in microbiology; it is a bridge between Molecular biology, Microbial Physiology and Genetics. For instance, signalling in bacteria and Gene therapy in Viruses it  deals with the inter-dependent microbial & molecular interactions, that are both essential in treating genetic diseases with the assistance of viral vectors.

Infection causing microbes is called as the term immunity . In such a way it works, that although might seem negating in the first instance. It primarily detects various infectious agents thereby preventing the body from falling prey to these infectious agents For the orderly functioning of the immune system ; In the most essential task of the immune system is to categorized good from the bad, and complications arise, the immune system malfunctions and starts eating away our healthy tissues, or destroying the healthy cells. Furthermore, along the course of evolution and mutations, these microbes have re-emerged stronger than ever and rapidly, they too have their methods in avoiding the detection by the immune system, and are now quite adept in neutralising any attempts of detection by the T-cells. Our immune system has also amped up their defence mechanisms  along the lines of this evolution of pathogens, in order to counter-act the antigens of pathogens. The defence mechanisms against different infectious diseases are possible for the antimicrobial peptides known as defensins, that aid in enhancing the efficacy of phagocytosis. Vertebrates have highly evolved immune system that is able to identify specific pathogens more effectively. Disorders caused by the malfunctioning of the immune system are  autoimmune diseases, which include cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, inflammation, lupus, and  among others. Pathogenic microorganisms, is the reason of  Infectious diseases  such as pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites or nematodes, Most of the  which are a part of the normal flora of our skin and system and are usually harmless open window is worked that time. In time of the immune system is weak or  compromised, and wreak havoc with the system; So,these are termed as opportunistic pathogens.

During the times of Aristotle & Plato, when people believed that living organisms could take birth from non-living organisms, to the 13th Century, when Rogen Bacon, termed the name “germ” for agents that cause diseases/ infections to Anthony Van Leuwenhoek, who in 1676 observed the very first microbes, the “Animalcules”, to the year 1878, when Sedillot coined the term, microbe- which is all included in the “Discovery Era” of Microbiology, which later transitioned into the “Transition Era” where the major contributions were made by Redi, Needham, & Spallanzi to the “Golden Era” of Louis Pasteur, Lister, Tyndall, Koch, Petri, Hesse, Jenner, Flemming & Ehrlich to the now, “Modern Era” Microbiology has evolved and transitioned a lot. Since 384 BC  it is evolving where the research in microbiology has evolved with the evolution in the technology had bridged the gap of the disciplines of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. Microbiology, in present days is not only a single stand-off field, rather it is more of inter-depending & inter-related field, without this, other fields will crumble. Also, Microbiology has given some  numerous sub-fields, which are in-turn a field in itself.

Vaccines which are biological preparation containing an agent resembling the infectious agent- probably weakened or a killed form of the actual infectious agent, viz., bacteria or virus or the toxin therefor,  along with other substances. A vaccine helps in time of stimulating the immune system by providing an active acquired immunity against diseases. It  may be either prophylactic or therapeutic. Vaccines confer protection against various infections- bacterial and viral. Most of the situation, vaccines are also given for specific cancers and immune mediated diseases. Anti-Microbials are the substances which provide the protection against any microbial infections. They are again divided into Antibiotics (against bacteria infections), Antivirals (against viral infections), Antifungals (against fungal infections), Antiprotozoal (against protozoal infections), anti-helminths and nematicides (against nematodes and helminths) etc.

Plant Pathology is the scientific discovery of diseases in plants caused by pathogens and environmental conditions. Organisms that cause viral disease include fungi, bacteria, viruses, viroids, virus-like organisms, phytoplasma, protozoa, nematodes and dependable plants. A plant considered undesirable, unattractive, or troublesome, especially one that grows where it is no need and often grows or spreads fast or takes the place of desired plants. It is an aquatic plant or alga, especially seaweed.

This includes the follows:

1. Plant Immune System and Plant Virology
2. Molecular and genetic basis of plant-insect interaction
3. Plant Microbial Interactions
4. Plant Bacteriology
5. Clinical Plant Pathology & Nematology
6. Plant Fungal Pathology

Biofuel is energy source made of living things, or the waste that living things turn out. Supporters of biofuels argue that their use might considerably cut back greenhouse emissions; whereas burning the fuels produces CO2, growing the plants or biomass removes carbon diozide from the atmosphere.

This includes the follows:

1. Alternative Feedstocks
2. Alternative Biofuels
3. Improving Microbial Biofuel Production: Recent Developments