In the Department of Microbiology

Finding solutions to global challenges, such as the emergence of new infectious diseases, skyrocketing antimicrobial resistance, and the health of our planet's ecosystems, will depend upon discoveries from microbiology research. Illinois microbiology faculty focus on the physiology, genetics, and pathogenesis of microbial organisms and viruses.

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Microbiology News

Read article: Progress on the table: Students and faculty with Cena y Ciencias give children the tools they need to dream
Progress on the table: Students and faculty with Cena y Ciencias give children the tools they need to dream
Ricardo Diaz still remembers the night chemistry professor Joaquin Rodriguez-Lopez walked into a room full of kids and told them to throw ketchup on a volunteer wearing a special shirt. Soon the room was enveloped in ketchup, laughter, and gasps...
Read article: In the news: What is listeriosis and how is it treated?
In the news: What is listeriosis and how is it treated?
A recent recall of more than seven million pounds of deli meat has marked the largest listeria outbreak since 2011, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak has been traced...
Read article: Celebrating new School of MCB faculty scholars, distinguished promotions
Celebrating new School of MCB faculty scholars, distinguished promotions
Five faculty members from the School of Molecular & Cellular Biology have been recognized for their excellence in research and teaching through named scholar positions and distinguished promotions. Congratulations to Sayee Anakk, Auinash Kalsotra, Paola Mera, Lori Raetzman, and Joe Sanfilippo...
Read article: When an orange behaves like an apple: New research pinpoints rules governing reaction outcomes of G-protein-modifying toxins
When an orange behaves like an apple: New research pinpoints rules governing reaction outcomes of G-protein-modifying toxins
A group of researchers from the University of Illinois has identified a set of rules governing the reaction preferences of a family of G-protein-modifying toxins. G proteins are proteins that regulate cellular processes through interactions between hormone receptors and downstream signaling...
Read article: New study highlights need for cell-type-specific therapies in treatment of HIV
New study highlights need for cell-type-specific therapies in treatment of HIV
Researchers from the University of Illinois have demonstrated the importance of cell-type-specific targeting in the treatment of HIV. Their findings, published in PNAS, are one of the first to examine the differential or cell-type...
Read article: Congratulating the 2024 student award winners
Congratulating the 2024 student award winners
The School of Molecular & Cellular Biology honored dozens of undergraduate and graduate students at its annual award ceremony, held on May 2. These student awards, fellowships, and scholarships recognize academic achievement, research accomplishments, and excellence in teaching and are made...
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Collaborative & Impactful

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Faculty Research

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Our world-class faculty lead many exciting research programs in the physiology, genetics, and pathogenesis of microbial organisms and viruses. Labs explore archaeal biology, bacteriophage biology, drug discovery, eukaryotic virology, gene regulation, host-pathogen interaction, microbial communities/microbiome, microbial physiology, molecular evolution, and oxidative stress.

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PhD in Microbiology

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Microbes are the dominant organisms on the planet and drive all aspects of life. The Department of Microbiology is a close-knit group of scientists who are driving discoveries in bacterial and archaeal biology and physiology, bacterial and viral pathogenesis, antibiotic discovery, and microbial ecology and evolution. As a PhD student in microbiology, you will be part of a thriving, supportive community of researchers.

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Microbial Systems Initiative

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Microbial Systems Initiative, or MSI, is a vibrant cross-campus community of microbial sciences researchers who address problems in health, agriculture, energy, and other sectors. The Microbial Early-career Researchers Association (MicroERA) organizes professional development and networking opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

Upcoming Microbiology Events

Meet MCB's microbiology community

Read article: Meet MCB: Undergraduate researcher Neha Arun
Meet MCB: Undergraduate researcher Neha Arun
MCB major Neha Arun shares her experiences working as an undergraduate researcher in Professor Collin Kieffer's lab in the Department of Microbiology, as well as a look at life outside the lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  Can you summarize your research in the Kieffer Lab?  My...
Read article: Meet MCB: Microbiology PhD student Stefanie Eben
Meet MCB: Microbiology PhD student Stefanie Eben
From studying E. coli to riding horses, Stefanie Eben says she has found the perfect mixture of academic and personal fulfillment at the University of Illinois. Eben, a microbiology PhD student in the lab of professor James Imlay, spoke with MCB's communications team about her love of microbiology...
Read article: Meet MCB: Microbiology professor Paola Mera
Meet MCB: Microbiology professor Paola Mera
Dr. Paola Mera is an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology. Dr. Mera's research program combines bacterial genetics, biochemistry, and high-resolution...
Read article: Susan Brennan (BS, ’85, microbiology) has built a career in sustainability, solving problems
Susan Brennan (BS, ’85, microbiology) has built a career in sustainability, solving problems
Growing up in the Illinois steel town of Granite City, Susan Brennan was certain once she left, she would never live near a factory again. However, in the years after graduating from the University of Illinois, she would become a leading voice in rethinking and transforming American manufacturing....

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Explore our history

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The Department of Microbiology at UIUC has a rich history of seminal discoveries and microbiologists who have increased our biological understanding and advanced the field of microbiology, such as Carl Woese, who discovered the Archaea, a new domain of life distinct from bacteria and eukarya, and Abigail Salyers, who pioneered studies of Bacteroides polysaccharide utilization and its role in colonic fermentation.