Graduate Degree Programs
M.S., M.P.S. or Ph.D. in Microbiology

Our understanding of microbes' central role in host health & physiology, biogeochemical processes, and global change continues to expand. ESF's Microbiology program provides a basic education in the core disciplines of microbiology, but relies heavily on student-driven cutting-edge research. Depending on the major professor, training will include basic microbiological, molecular, and computational techniques to answer current questions in microbiology. Current research areas include, but are not limited to, pathogenic microbiology, microbial ecology, virology, bacteriology, microbial diversity and physiology, host-microbe interactions, and vector-borne diseases. Graduate degrees in microbiology better prepare students for a wide range of clinical, industrial, or environmental microbiology occupations.

Participating Faculty

• Cynthia Downs; cjdowns@esf.edu
  Scaling and tradeoffs in animal physiology; mostly immune defenses; mostly an ecological or evolutionary context.
• Hyatt Green; hgreen@esf.edu
  Molecular microbial ecology, water quality and microbial source-tracking, host microbiomes, microbial dark matter, eDNA and molecular ecology, Micobial transformation of mercury
• Thomas R. Horton; trhorton@esf.edu
• Brian F. Leydet; bfleydet@esf.edu
• Lee Newman; lanewman@esf.edu
  Phytoremediation, interaction between plants and endophytic bacteria, growth of plants for the production of energy: biomass, ethanol and biodiesel.
• William A. Powell
  Director of the American Chestnut Research & Restoration Project, Roosevelt Wild Life Station Scientist-in-Residence
• Christopher Whipps; cwhipps@esf.edu
  Microbiology