Why should Microbiology your future career?

Microbiology is a multidisciplinary, career oriented applied branch of biology which overlaps with other life sciences such as Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Immunology and even Engineering. Career in microbiology can be a remunerative option in Bangladesh as well as all over the globe. Innumerable institutions around the world offer degree programs at undergraduate as well as at post graduate levels in the field of microbiology. Scholars of microbiology can choose their career path as a Microbiologist, Bacteriologist, Biochemist, Biotechnologist, Food Microbiologist, Mycologist, Biomedical Scientist, Pharmacologist, Forensic Scientist, They can even opt their career as a scientific writer, who writes articles for common people, student, post doc and for professional microbiologist.

To be a microbiologist and to get the following opportunities you must have to earn a minimum qualification at your educational level. To seek admission at under graduate programs a minimum 12th grade in science background (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics or Biology), while for post graduate program, a bachelor degree in Microbiology/Life science is required.

As a Microbiologist you will be able to access numerous fields of life sciences practically and theoretically along with a new prestigious title which will add you an emerging social value. For instance, if you get the opportunity to perform a wide range of pathological tests on samples collected from animal, human and also other environmental specimens to serve in detection of disease you would be certified as a Clinical Microbiologist. Microbiologist whose work involves in clinic has opportunity, directly researching human health may be classified as Medical scientists. If you study on the use of microbes to clean up areas contaminated by heavy metals or study how microbes could assist crop growth. You may be an Environmental Microbiologist. On the other hand, if you have desire to study and solve problems related to industrial production processes to produce good quality foods then you may study industrial microbiology that will give you a unique identity as an Industrial microbiologist. You can also study the structure, development, and other properties of viruses and any effects viruses have on infected organisms to be a Virologist. Similarly a plenty of professional career paths will open for you if microbiology is your major.

In recent years, the work environments for microbiologists are increasing swiftly. The industries that warmly welcoming microbiologist as their future employee are as follows: Research and development in the physical, engineering and life sciences- 24%, Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing -21%, Federal government, excluding postal service- 12%, Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state-9%, State government, excluding education and hospitals-7%.

The average wage of a typical microbiologist is about $67,550 in the top industrial sectors. The median annual wages for microbiologists in the high ranked industries, in which they employed in May 2015, were as follows:

*Federal government, excluding postal service- $99,280,

*Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences- $74,170,

*Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing- $64,640,

*State government, excluding education and hospitals-$53,450,

*Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state-$48,810. (www.collegegrad.com)

There are also a number of mileages in the field of microbiology which is affluent to set your motto as a remarkable microbiologist in future.

Written by:

Md. Rayhan Mahmud

Master's degree student  Department of Ecology and Population Genetics

University of Oulu, Finland

M.Sc. in Microbiology, Jagannath University, Bangladesh