The microorganisms which cause many common diseases, such as flu, traveler's diarrhea, venereal disease, mumps, malaria, cholera and AIDS are being intensely investigated by microbiologists. These studies will lead to faster and more accurate diagnostic methods, the development of preventive measures such as vaccines and improved antibiotics and other treatments. In addition, the use of microorganisms as model systems permits research scientists to address basic biological questions at a fundamental level. Such investigations and the information gained are applicable to an understanding of basic life processes in all organisms. Thus, the microbiological sciences provide a window to the whole of the biological sciences.
All life processes are a reflection of the genetic complement of the organism under study.
Being able to unravel both the genetic structure and function of an organism at the most fundamental levels can lead to an understanding of the evolution, diversity and responsiveness of an organism to its environment. Regulating, altering, and expressing the genome of an organism in response to changes in its environment are fundamental to our understanding of the diversity of living systems. Combining studies in the Microbiological Sciences and Molecular Genetics affords the opportunity to understand, at the molecular level, the responsiveness and activities of microorganisms and deepen our understanding of all living systems.