Microbiology studies micro-organisms in all their aspects. It can roughly be subdivided into medical, food, environmental and industrial sub-specialties. Van Eyk concentrates on the latter two: Industrial and environmental (effluent) applications.

Generally speaking microbiology studies micro-organisms. These organisms can not be seen by the naked eye, but the effects of which affects us all. The help us make beer, cheese, yogurt, recycle, make anti-biotics, enzymes, medicines, etc. They can also cause diseases, but these organisms are in the minority. Most micro-organisms are quite helpful. They can help plants take up nitrogen, in humans they help with giving us vitamins from food and in cows they help digest grass.

Anton van Leeuwenhoek was probably the first to see micro-organisms via a simple lens, that he made himself. The multi-lens or compound microscope took it a step further and bacteria could be resolved as individual cells. Louis Pasteur found that bacteria were responsible for spoiling food. Pasteur and John Tyndall proved conclusively that spontaneous generation of organisms does not occur. Robert Koch showed that bacteria could cause disease and grew disease causing bacteria on solid media (then gelatin now agar), which started medical microbiology on its way. The same technique of growing bacteria on a dish of solid material (agar) is still the main technique today.

The classification of organisms has undergone some very drastic changes. It is now recognized that what we know as bacteria are technically called eu-bacteria (true bacteria).archaea What we thought belonged to this group and grew in extreme conditions, such as kilometers deep next to so called black smokers, are now called archae-bacteria (very old bacteria). Fungi now belong together with us in the eu-karyotes since they have a nucleus containing chromosomes in their cells, like we do.

Much more information can be found on the web - here’s a link to an informative site: http://www.sirinet.net/~jgjohnso/monerans.html