For world-class research to continue in the UK on food security and safety the Microbiology Society has identified the following facilities which will need to be developed and/or maintained:

• Containment facilities for pathogens of plants, animals and humans, including Home Office licensed animal and aquaria facilities.
   
• Farm-/field-scale facilities.
   
• Controlled environments (climate change).
   
• Culture collections, and the systematists and specialist technicians required to actively curate them.
   
• Animal and plant models of disease.
   
• High-speed data communications for real-time information.
   
• Supercomputing resources for data-mining and bioinformatics.

There is a shortage in undergraduate and postgraduates with research skills in traditional microbiology – i.e. non-reductionist/molecular and expertise gaps in subjects such as mycology, plant virology, food microbiology, soil science and insect pathogens, and those working with microbes in target animals and crops. There will be an increasing requirement for quantitative scientists with appropriate skills in both microbiology and maths to carry out microbial risk analysis, model and predict likely outcomes and make best use of data available.

There will also be a need for graduates with high-level skills that can apply new technologies and developments arising from this, for example in microbial bioinformatics.

It is important that the present (and any future) economic downturn does not result in a reduction in the microbiology skill base (in its broadest sense) or the provision of containment facilities and other necessary facilities.