Why Microbiology Matters
Why Microbiology Matters

The Microbiology Society is a membership charity for scientists interested in microbes, their effects and their practical uses.
What is microbiology?

Microbiology is the study of all living organisms that are too small to be visible with the naked eye. This includes bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, prions, protozoa and algae, collectively known as 'microbes'.

Aims & Objectives

The Microbiology Society has a vision and mission around which we base our strategy. Our members have a unique depth and breadth of knowledge about the discipline. The Society’s role is to help unlock and harness the potential of that knowledge.

Our history

Discover more about the history of the Microbiology Society, including its inception in 1945.

Council & Governance

As a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, the Microbiology Society's Council bears legal responsibilities. The Society also has a number of committees, including Division Committees.

Early Career Microbiologists' Forum

Find out about what the Early Career Microbiologists' (ECM) Forum is and why it was established.

Annual General Meeting and Showcase of the Society's Achievements

The Microbiology Society holds an Annual General Meeting and Celebration of the Society's Work.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Microbiology Society supports greater diversity within the field of microbiology

Policy work

We work with other policy organisations to promote evidence-informed policy and support scientists to tackle global challenges.

Science and the EU

The Microbiology Society is working with the scientific community to engage with policy-makers on the issue of Brexit. The Microbiology Society's Council's Statement on Brexit can also be found here.

Contact us

Details on how to contact the Microbiology Society and where our office is located.

Our Staff

Find out who our staff are at the Microbiology Society.

Jobs

View the current job vacancies at the Microbiology Society.
Our Work
Our Work

We support our members to champion microbiology and to access the best microbiological evidence and expertise.
75th Anniversary: showcasing why microbiology matters

To celebrate our 75th anniversary in 2020, we invite members to nominate the discovery or event that best showcases why microbiology matters and helps us demonstrate the impact of microbiologists past, present and future.

75th Anniversary: microbiology images

As part of the celebrations for our anniversary, we invite the microbiology community to submit images related to the microbiological world to help highlight how microbiology answers big questions by giving us knowledge of very small things. We welcome images of your science, of nature, of people, places and events that will inspire, inform and demonstrate how the study of microbes helps us to understand our world and our place within it.

75th Anniversary: A Sustainable Future

To mark this occasion, we are embarking on a policy project to demonstrate the value and raise the profile of microbiology in addressing the world’s biggest challenges. The focus will be on how microbiology can help to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the wide ranging and ambitious global blueprint for achieving a sustainable future by 2030.

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious global challenge for public health, food security and sustainable development.

The Microbiome

The Microbiology Society identified a need for policy-makers and decision-makers to have access to appropriate evidence-based scientific information and expert opinion about research on microbiomes, and have developed a report on the topic.
Membership
Membership

Join the Microbiology Society and become part of the largest microbiology community in Europe.
Join the Society

We offer a range of membership options. View the categories available to find the one most suitable for you.

Renew your membership

Renew your membership.

Get involved

Find out how to get the most out of your membership.

Contact details

Contact the Membership Office by email, telephone or post.

FAQs

Have a question about Membership? These FAQs may be of help.

Leaving a legacy

By remembering the Society in your Will you can help support the future of microbiology and the next generation of microbiologists.

Meet our members

The science helping us understand our world.
Members' Outreach & Resources
Members' Outreach & Resources

The Microbiology Society is committed to supporting and encouraging the understanding of microbiology.
Microbiology Today

Microbiology Today is the Society's member magazine.

Policy documents

The Microbiology Society's policy team issues topical briefing papers, position statements and consultation responses.

Membership resources

Resources available to Microbiology Society members.

Careers resources

Interview and application advice, careers events, How-to guides and other helpful information.

Education resources

Educational microbiology resources to support education and outreach activities.

Outreach resources

Resources which can be used to support outreach and engagement activities

Further resources

The Microbiology Society has supported and helped develop a variety of resources produced by external organisations.

Links

The links on this page may be useful as further information.
Careers
Careers

Advice and information for those interested in a career in microbiology.
What microbiologists do

The range of roles and fields that microbiologists work in.

Information for school leavers

Choosing a course and university, and what you need to apply.

Information for undergraduates

What to do after you graduate and how to get a job.

Information for postgraduates and beyond

How to improve your employability and find funding.

Non-research career options

Some of the roles outside of research where you could use your knowledge.

Job profiles

Find out about the different career paths available after studying biology or microbiology.
Grants & Prizes
Grants & Prizes

Funds received though the Microbiology Society publication subscriptions, membership and other activities are used to support microbiology in the form of grants and prizes.
All Grants & Prizes

A list of all grants and prizes available to members of the Microbiology Society.

Guide to Microbiology Society grants

Find out more about the refreshed grants programme, available to eligible members of the Society.

Travel & Research Grants

The Microbiology Society provides funding for microbiological research projects and travel to help members enhance their careers.

Events Grants

The Microbiology Society offers grants to support members attending events.

Education & Outreach Grants and Prizes

The Microbiology Society supports microbiology-related education and outreach activities and funds are available for members keen to run and participate in these events.

International Grants

The Microbiology Society provides funds to support microbiologists and develop microbiology, teaching and research in countries defined as low-income or lower-middle-income economies by the World Bank.

Careers Grants

The Microbiology Society can provide small grants to our student members to support their attendance at specific careers events, helping them make informed choices about their next career step.

Prize Lectures

The Microbiology Society awards a range of prizes in recognition of significant contributions to microbiology.

Previous grant recipients

Previous Microbiology Society grant recipients give their testimonials.

Grant rules

The rules that apply for the Society grants.

Grants FAQs

If you have a question regarding a Microbiology Society grant, find out if your query is answered in this section.

Grants deadlines

Upcoming grants deadlines.
Events
Events

The Microbiology Society holds and supports conferences and events to disseminate research knowledge and provide a forum for communication between microbiologists.
Annual Conference

Our Annual Conference takes place over four days and consists of symposia, workshops, forums, offered oral presentations, poster viewing sessions, Prize Lectures from eminent microbiologists and a trade exhibition. It offers ample opportunities for formal and informal networking for both early career and established microbiologists.

FIS 2019

The Microbiology Society are delighted to be hosting the Federation of Infection Societies 2019 Annual Conference (FIS 2019) in Edinburgh between the 11 and 14 November 2019.

Society events and meetings

At the Society, we provide a number of high quality events and meetings throughout the year, including the Focus Meeting series.

Policy events and workshops

Society staff and members organise and attend policy events and workshops that connect microbiologists, policy-makers and other stakeholders.

Event proposals and Conference grants

Submit ideas for Microbiology Society Annual Conference sessions and Focused Meetings, or apply for a Society-Supported Conference Grant.

Society-supported conferences

The Microbiology Society provides financial support for events held by other organisations in the areas of microbiology and virology.

Full events listing

The Microbiology Society will highlight details of any event held by other organisations in the areas of microbiology. If you would like to list an event here, you can submit your details in through our online form.

Exhibition and sponsorship opportunities

The Microbiology Society holds a number of conferences and events throughout the year, including the Microbiology Society’s hugely successful Annual Conference. There are a wide range of exhibition and sponsorship opportunities to suit all budgets, including multi-event packages.
News
News

The Microbiology Society promotes the public understanding of microbiology.
Society news

News and updates from the Microbiology Society.

Press releases

Press releases published by the Microbiology Society.

Blog - Microbe Post

The Microbiology Society's blog.

YouTube channel

The Microbiology Society regularly produces videos which are hosted on our YouTube channel.

Podcast - Microbe Talk

The Microbiology Society has a podcast called Microbe Talk.

Newsletter

Archive of the monthly newsletter from the Microbiology Society.

Events

Spotlight Event

Annual Conference 2020

31 Mar - 03 Apr - Edinburgh, UK

Upcoming Events

Microbiology Society Roadshow 2019 - Plymouth

18 Nov - Plymouth, UK
Bridging the clinical-research gap

21 Nov - London, UK
Science Policy Workshop for Microbiologists

25 Nov - London, UK
Microbiology Society Roadshow 2019 - Reading

26 Nov - Reading, UK
Annual Conference 2020

Fleming day 30 March - Annual Conference 31 March - 03 April 2020 - Edinburgh, UK
Candida and Candidiasis 2020

19 Apr - 23 Apr - Montreal, Canada

Upcoming Events

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

November

20

Transcription in Health and Disease

20 Nov - 22 Nov - London, UK
21

JIB19 - (Days of innovation in biology)

21 Nov - 22 Nov - Paris, France
21

Bridging the clinical-research gap

21 Nov - London, UK
25

Science Policy Workshop for Microbiologists

25 Nov - London, UK
26

Microbiology Society Roadshow 2019 - Reading

26 Nov - University of Reading, Reading, UK

December

05

Microbiotec'19 - Congress of Microbiology and Biotechnology

05 Dec - 07 Dec - Coimbra, Portugal
10

Rapid confirmation using MALDI-TOF III

10 Dec - London, UK
11

National OPAT Conference 2019

11 Dec - London, UK
12

What is the future of water in Public Health?

12 Dec - Sheffield, UK
16

Protistology UK Microbial Symbiosis Meeting

16 Dec - 17 Dec - London, UK

February

06

Gen-Next Probiotics and Microbiome Congress

06 Feb - 07 Feb - San Diego, USA
13

Infection Prevention and Control 2020

13 Feb - Birmingham, UK

March

08

6th Joint Conference of the DGHM & VAAM

08 Mar - 11 Mar - Leipzig, Germany
23

The Astbury Conversation 2020: Seeing into Cells

23 Mar - 24 Mar - Leeds, UK
30

Fleming Showcase

30 Mar
31

Annual Conference 2020

Fleming day 30 March - Annual Conference 31 March - 03 April 2020 - Edinburgh, UK

April

19

Candida and Candidiasis 2020

19 Apr - 23 Apr - Montreal, Canada
20

EMBO Practical Course: Microbial Metagenomics: A 360º Approach

20 Apr - Heidelberg, Germany
27

Introduction to Metabolomics for the Microbiologist

27 Apr - 29 Apr - Birmingham, UK

June

21

12th International Symposium on Pneumococci & Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD-12 2020)

21 Jun - 25 Jun - Toronto, Canada
22

World Congress on Infectious Diseases

22 Jun - 24 Jun - Rome, Italy
25

ECM Forum Summer Conference 2020

25 Jun - 26 Jun - Glasgow, UK
28

Innate Immunity in Host-Pathogen Interactions

28 Jun - 01 Jul - Heidelberg, Germany
28

European Congress on Biotechnology

28 Jun - 01 Jul

July

12

Phyllosphere 2020: 11th International Symposium on Leaf Surface Microbiology

12 Jul - 16 Jul - Davis, California, USA
12

Microfluidics 2020

12 Jul - 14 Jul - Heidelberg, Germany
19

EMBO Practical Course: Molecular Geobiology

19 Jul - Heidelberg, Germany

September

05

Summer School on Microbial Specialised Metabolites: Discovery, Biosynthesis and Evolution

05 Sep - 12 Sep - Croatia, Croatia

October

07

Introduction to Metabolomics for the Microbiologist

07 Oct - 09 Oct - Birmingham, UK

November

08

FIS/HIS International 2020

08 Nov - 10 Nov - Edinburgh, UK

Focused Meeting proposals

Find out how to propose topics for Microbiology Society Focused Meetings.
Annual Conference sessions

Find out how to propose a Microbiology Society Annual Conference session.
Society-Supported Conference Grants

Awards of up to £2,000 are available to members who wish to organise a conference in any field of microbiology, either independently or in partnership with another Society.