The development of both Immunology and Microbiology has been linked, since the earliest days, with the development of vaccines for smallpox and anthrax by Jenner and Pasteur respectively. More recently, the application of modern techniques of biology to the immune system has led to a dramatic increase in our understanding of the immune system and its impact on body function, as well as in the control of microbial and other types of disease. The interface between immunology and microbiology is a very active area for both fundamental research and for the development of new biotechnological products to diagnose or prevent disease. Modern techniques based on monoclonal antibodies are revolutionising the identification of micro-organisms in the clinical laboratory, as well as in the food industry and agriculture.
Students present dissertations on approved topics in the areas of immunology and microbiology.
There are rewarding opportunities in the UK and abroad in research and management, in bacteriology and microbiology, in laboratories and in hospitals, blood transfusion laboratories, universities, research institutes, research councils, charities, the scientific civil service, and teaching at all levels. Graduates may also enter the pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnological, or agro-food industries as researchers, scientific officers or as management trainees, or may take up careers in marketing, sales or administration.