Determination of antibiotic susceptibility of microbes is another important duty. Public Health Microbiologists help to control the spread of communicable disease. Virologists conduct research on the smallest of infectious agents. They study how viruses cause disease in animals and plants, induce tumor formation, and transfer genes between cells. These studies provide essential information for developing vaccines and advances in biotechnology.
Mycologists study fungi of interest to medical, agricultural and food industries.
Immunologists study how beneficial and harmful host reactions occur when foreign substances enter the body, and they generate and improve vaccines. They also develop highly sensitive and specific identification techniques, one of which determines compatibility of organs for transplantation. Microbial Geneticists isolate, transfer, and determine functions of genes in microorganisms. Through improvement of gene-transfer techniques, geneticists provide great advancements in biotechnology. Microbial Physiologists study microbial life processes and cell structure.