About Us
About Us

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'.

75th anniversary of the Microbiology Society

75th anniversary of the Microbiology Society: celebrating the impact of microbiologists past, present and future

Our history

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

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.

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.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Microbiology Society supports greater diversity within the field of microbiology

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.

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.

Vacancies

View the current vacancies at the Microbiology Society.

Links

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

We support our members to champion microbiology and policy-makers to access the best microbiological evidence and expertise.
Microbiome Policy Project

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.

Antimicrobial Resistance

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

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.

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.

Policy briefings

Policy briefings outline key microbiological issues and research for policy-makers, including antimicrobial resistance, human fungal diseases and climate change.

Consultation responses

Consultation responses communicate the expert knowledge and opinion of our members to policy makers on issues such as Brexit, biosecurity and the research environment.

Position statements

Position statements outline the Society's positions on key issues including tackling sexually transmitted infections, food security and safety and animal research.

Policy events and workshops

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

Education

The Microbiology Society is committed to ensuring that the science and skills of microbiology are represented throughout the education systems in the UK.

Who we work with

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

Get involved

We provide members and research stakeholders with opportunities to engage in our science policy work.
Education & Outreach
Education & Outreach

The Microbiology Society is committed to supporting and encouraging the teaching and learning of microbiology at all levels.
Antibiotics Unearthed

Antibiotics Unearthed gave the general public, students and educators in the UK and Ireland the opportunity to work with scientists as part of a global initiative to discover new antibiotics from soil bacteria.

Get involved

Get involved with the Microbiology Society education and outreach activities.

Grants & Prizes

The Microbiology Society supports microbiology-related education and outreach activities, and funds are available to support School and Individual Members keen to run and participate in these activities.

Careers

The Microbiology Society aims to promote microbiology as a career to individuals from school level onwards and to support career and professional development of microbiologists at all career stages

Resources

The Microbiology Society produce a range of resources for teaching microbiology across the key stages.

Collaborations

The Microbiology Society collaborates with several organisations to push the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) agenda forward.
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.

Careers Resources

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

The Microbiology Society promotes the public understanding of microbiology through the media and uses the expertise of our members to help with media enquiries.
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.
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.
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 here.

Membership resources

Resources available to Microbiology Society members.

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.
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.

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.
Publications
Publications

The Microbiology Society publishes educational resources.
Journals

The Microbiology Society journals contain high-quality research papers and topical review articles. Each journal has an editorial board that draws on the expertise of specialists worldwide.

Microbiology Today

Microbiology Today is the Society's quarterly magazine.

Policy documents

The Microbiology Society regularly publishes policy documents.

Education resources

We provide a range of microbiology resources for all age groups from primary to post-16.

Symposia

Until 2006, the proceedings of Society meetings were published in book form. These volumes, including at least one meeting, present key findings on a diverse range of topics.

Events

Spotlight Event

Annual Conference 2019

08 Apr - 11 Apr - Belfast, UK

Upcoming Events

Teaching Microbiology in Higher Education Symposium

07 Apr - Belfast, UK
Anaerobe 2019: Changing perceptions of anaerobic bacteria; from pathogen to the normal microbiota and back

13 Jun - 14 Jun - Cardiff, UK
British Yeast Group: Discovery to Impact

26 Jun - 28 Jun - Newcastle, UK
Early Career Microbiologists' Forum Summer Conference 2019

20 Jun - 21 Jun - Dublin, Ireland
IMAV 2019: International Meeting on Arboviruses and their Vectors

05 Sep - 06 Sep - Glasgow, Scotland
Microbes in Medicine: A Century of Microbiology at Trinity College Dublin

24 Oct - 25 Oct - Dublin, Ireland

Upcoming Events

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

February

11

The UK Cellular Microbiology Network: Exploring cell biology at the host-bacterial interface

11 Feb - London, UK
18

CRISPR ecology and evolution

18 Feb - 19 Feb - London, UK

March

12

Microbiology Roadshow 12 March 2019

12 Mar - Leeds, United Kingdom
18

European Mycoplasma Conference

18 Mar - 19 Mar - London, UK
18

21st Annual Superbugs & Superdrugs Conference

18 Mar - 19 Mar - London, UK

April

07

Teaching Microbiology in Higher Education Symposium

07 Apr - Belfast, UK
08

Annual Conference 2019

08 Apr - 11 Apr - UK
28

European Congress of Virology 2019

28 Apr - 01 May - Rotterdam, Netherlands

May

14

Cell Culture & Bioprocessing USA Congress

14 May - 15 May - Boston, USA
20

6th Microbiome R&D and Business Collaboration Forum: Europe

20 May - 22 May - Rotterdam, Netherlands

June

13

Anaerobe 2019: Changing perceptions of anaerobic bacteria; from pathogen to the normal microbiota and back

13 Jun - 14 Jun - Cardiff, UK
20

Early Career Microbiologists' Forum Summer Conference 2019

20 Jun - 21 Jun - Dublin, Ireland
26

British Yeast Group: Discovery to Impact

26 Jun - 28 Jun - Newcastle, UK

July

22

Pseudomonas 2019 – the 17th Biannual Conference

22 Jul - 26 Jul - Putrajaya, Malaysia

September

05

IMAV 2019: International Meeting on Arboviruses and their Vectors

05 Sep - 06 Sep - Glasgow, Scotland
17

The interacting fungus

17 Sep - 19 Sep - Aberdeen, Scotland

October

24

Microbes in Medicine: A Century of Microbiology at Trinity College Dublin

24 Oct - 25 Oct - Dublin, Ireland
29

Antimicrobial drug discovery from traditional and historical medicine

29 Oct - Oxford, UK

November

11

FIS 2019: Federation of Infection Societies Conference 2019

11 Nov - 13 Nov - Edinburgh, UK

March

30

Annual Conference 2020

30 Mar - 02 Apr - Edinburgh, UK

April

19

Candida and Candidiasis 2020

19 Apr - 23 Apr

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.