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.

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.

Prize Lectures

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

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.

To view and print this document, you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Cold Wars

01 January 2009 publication

A KS3 & KS4 resource (4 page booklet). Information about the common cold, including a practical activity to model the spread of this viral infection.

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