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'.

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

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.

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.

Events and workshops

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

Campaigns

The Microbiology Society supports campaigns which align with the our aims and objectives.

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 will give 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.

Education & Outreach Events

As part of our commitment to supporting and encouraging the teaching and learning of microbiology at all levels, we contribute to and arrange education, outreach and careers events across the UK.

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.

Policy

The Microbiology Society responds to education consultations in collaboration with other learned societies through the Society of Biology and Science Community Representing Education (SCORE).

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.

Mentoring guides

Finding the perfect mentor is not an easy process; there are many factors to take into account to get the relationship right.
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.

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.

Grants FAQs

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

Member resources

Download free resources to help promote the Society.

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.
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.

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.
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.

Publications

Publishing journals of international repute, our Society magazine, education resources, and policy briefings and statements

Our peer-reviewed journals, Microbiology, Journal of General Virology, Journal of Medical Microbiology, JMM Case Reports, Microbial Genomics and the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, are each published monthly and contain high-quality research papers and topical review articles on microbial topics. X-AMR is also a new pop-up journal from the Microbiology Society for cross-disciplinary research on antimicrobial resistance.

We also produce a quarterly magazine, Microbiology Today, packed with topical articles and news from the field of microbiology and the world of microbes, as well as educational resources, symposium volumes and policy documents on key Society priorities.

Microbiology Today

Microbiology Today is the Society's quarterly magazine.
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.
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.

Featured Publication

Latest issue of Microbiology Today

The May 2018 issue of Microbiology Today focuses on the use of micro-organisms as tools, in a wide range of contexts. Throughout the issue, there is an emphasis on the beneficial ways in which microbes can be utilised.
Microbial Genomics

An open access, online only, and mandatory open data journal from the Microbiology Society.