Microbiological sciences: a European perspective

Authors

  • Eliora Z. Ron

Abstract

Microbiological sciences, which appeared to be obsolete after the discovery of antibiotics, are now ranked among the most important biological sciences. The revival of microbiology has been due mainly to the emergence and rapid spread of antibiotic resistance. The fact that many pathogenic bacteria are now resistant to most of the antibiotics currently in use has resulted in a critical and urgent need to understand the basis of bacterial virulence in order to prevent and treat the respective diseases. Another important development has been the availability of genomic technologies and databases, which have made it possible to explore the vast biodiversity of bacterial genomes and to use the information for biotechnological applications. This article discusses these two aspects of modern microbiology, with special focus on the European perspective. In addition, the development and activities of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS), which unites the efforts of 47 microbiological societies, is described.

Published

2010-01-22

Issue

Section

Distinguished lectures. Ramon Margalef Award for Ecology 2012