The microbial biology graduate program at Rutgers University-New Brunswick
offers a diverse research and educational experience focused on microbial life
processes and their applications. Highly
qualified students have the opportunity to study the genetic, metabolic,
physiologic, and evolutionary diversity of microbes and explore the complex
roles that microorganisms play in life on earth. Rutgers has a rich tradition of microbiology
for over a century, starting with research on bovine tuberculosis and soil
denitrification in the late 1800s and continuing with the founding of its
microbiology department in 1901 and the award of the Nobel Prize to Selman Waksman in 1952.
The microbial biology program offers a broad range of research opportunities with over 50 faculty members from several departments and institutes. Areas of research include environmental
microbiology, marine microbiology, food microbiology, applied microbiology, plant
pathology, microbial evolution, biofuels, microbiome ecology, and medical
microbiology. Faculty members work on many
different microorganisms including bacteria, archeae, yeast, fungi, phytoplankton,
and viruses.
We are constantly expanding our understanding of the role of
microbial life on earth in sustaining our biosphere and influencing our health
and well-being. The Rutgers microbial
biology graduate program offers a strong focus in understanding how microbes
occupy every possible environmental niche on earth (including frozen arctic
tundra, deep sea hydrothermal vents, hazardous waste sites, and the human body)
and how the diversity of microbial activities can be exploited to discover
novel bioactive compounds, to characterize metabolic traits for degradation of
hazardous chemicals, to develop new biofuel production methods, and to promote
human health. The microbial biology
graduate program consists of core course requirements that establish a sound
basis in microbiology. From this strong
foundation students advance into their focus areas, representing the various
ways in which microbiology contributes to society.
Graduates of the program will have a strong research and
educational foundation and a broad appreciation of the fundamentals of
microbial life, preparing both doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) and master of
science (M.S.) graduates for successful careers in academia, industry, and
government.
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