Microbiology

https://micro.utk.edu/

Heidi Goodrich-Blair, Head

Professors
Buchan, A., PhD – Georgia
Goodrich-Blair, H., PhD – Albany
Hazen, T.C., PhD – Wake Forest
Loeffler, F., PhD – Hohenheim (Germany)
Reynolds, T.B., PhD – Vanderbilt
Wilhelm, S.W., PhD – Western Ontario (Canada)

Associate Professors
Fozo, E.M., PhD – Rochester
Ganusov, V.V., PhD – Emory
Lloyd, K.G., PhD – North Carolina
Mikucki, J.A., PhD – Montana State
Sparer, T.E., PhD – Emory
Su, C., PhD – Penn State
Zinser, E.R., PhD – Harvard

Assistant Professors
Johnson, J.G., PhD – Iowa
Parker, B.J., PhD – Emory
Steen, A.D., PhD – North Carolina
Talmy, D., PhD – University of Essex

Research Faculty
Chandler, J.W., PhD – Tennessee
LeCleir, G.R., PhD – Georgia
Pfiffner, S., PhD – Florida State
Ripp, S., PhD – Oklahoma State
Vishnivetskaya, T.A., – Russian Academy of Sciences
Yan, J., PhD – Louisiana State

Joint Faculty
Elkins, J.G., PhD – Regensburg (Germany)
Graham, D., PhD – Illinois
Hettich, R.L., PhD – Purdue
Podar, M., PhD – Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas)
Schadt, C., PhD – Colorado

Lecturers
McPherson, E.F., MS – Tennessee
Brown, V.A., MS – Tennessee

Adjunct Faculty
Briggs, L., MPH – Tennessee
Bruce, B.D., PhD – California (Berkeley)
DeBruyn, J., PhD - Tennessee
Eda, S., PhD – Tokyo Pharmacy and Life Science
Lebeis, S.L., PhD – Emory
Lin, J., PhD – Ohio State
Radosevich, M., PhD – Ohio State

Microbiology is one of the fastest growing areas of science. It is the study of organisms so small that they must be viewed with a microscope. These organisms include bacteria, yeasts, molds, protozoa and viruses. Many important scientific discoveries of recent years have been made by microbiologists: since 1910, one-third of the Nobel Prizes in medicine and physiology have been awarded to microbiologists. Microbiology is a broad field which includes the following areas.

1. Pathogenic microbiology – the study of microbial-host interactions which influence disease and immunity.
2. Environmental microbiology – the role of micro-organisms in nature and relationships between organisms, including microbiomes.
3. Environmental biotechnology – the use of micro-organisms to address environmental problems.
4. Food microbiology – the use of micro-organisms in food production.
5. Virology – the study of viruses of both eukaryotes (higher organisms like humans, plants, and fungi) and prokaryotes (bacteria).
6. Immunology – the study of how the human immune system responds to and eliminates pathogens.

Students wishing to emphasize study in this area elect to major in biological sciences with a concentration in microbiology. See the description of the biological sciences major, microbiology concentration for requirements.

VolsTeach

Students pursuing a B.S. degree in the Department of Microbiology are eligible to participate in the University’s VolsTeach program (https://volsteach.utk.edu/), which permits students to simultaneously complete a major in mathematics or science and receive secondary education teaching licensure within the 4-year undergraduate degree program through completion of a VolsTeach minor. INPG 385  to the Microbiology B.S. degree. For more information about VolsTeach, including advising associated with teaching licensure requirements, contact the Center for Enhancing Education in Mathematics and Science (101 Greve Hall).