The Future of Microbiology:-

As the preceding sections have shown, microbiology has had a profound influence on society. What of the future? Science writer Bernard Dixon is very optimistic about microbiology’s future for two reasons. First, microbiology has a clearer mission than do many other scientific disciplines. Second, it is confident of its
value because of its practical significance. Dixon notes that microbiology is required both to face the threat of new and reemerging human infectious diseases and to develop industrial technologies that are more efficient and environmentally friendly. What are some of the most promising areas for future microbiological research and their potential practical impacts? What kinds of challenges do microbiologists face? The following brief
list should give some idea of what the future may hold:

 New infectious diseases are continually arising and old diseases are once again becoming widespread and
destructive. AIDS, hemorrhagic fevers, and tuberculosis are excellent examples of new and reemerging infectious diseases. Microbiologists will have to respond to these threats, many of them presently unknown.

 Microbiologists must find ways to stop the spread of established infectious diseases. Increases in antibiotic
resistance will be a continuing problem, particularly the spread of multiple drug resistance that can render a
pathogen impervious to current medical treatment. Microbiologists have to create new drugs and find ways to
slow or prevent the spread of drug resistance. New vaccines must be developed to protect against diseases such as AIDS.

1. It will be necessary to use techniques in molecular biology and recombinant DNA technology to solve these problems. Research is needed on the association between infectious agents and chronic diseases such as autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases. It may be that some of these chronic afflictions partly result from infections. 
2. We are only now beginning to understand how pathogens interact with host cells and the ways in which diseases arise. There also is much to learn about how the host resists pathogen invasions. Microorganisms are increasingly important in industry and environmental control, and we must learn how to use them in a variety of new ways. For example, microorganisms can (a) serve as sources of high-quality food and other practical products such as enzymes for industrial applications, (b) degrade pollutants and toxic wastes, and (c) be used as vectors to treat diseases and enhance agricultural productivity. 
3. There also is a continuing need to protect food and crops from microbial damage.Microbial diversity is another area requiring considerable research. Indeed, it is estimated that less than 1% of the earth’s microbial population has been cultured. We must develop new isolation techniques and an adequate classification of microorganisms, one which includes those microbes that cannot be cultivated in the laboratory. Much work needs to be done on microorganisms living in extreme environments. The discovery of new microorganisms may well lead to further advances in industrial processes and enhanced environmental control. 
4.  Microbial communities often live in biofilms, and these biofilms are of profound importance in both medicine and microbial ecology. Research on biofilms is in its infancy; it will be many years before we more fully understand their nature and are able to use our knowledge in practical ways. In general, microbe-microbe interactions have not yet been extensively explored.
5. The genomes of many microorganisms already have been sequenced, and many more will be determined in the coming years. These sequences are ideal for learning how the genome is related to cell structure and what the minimum assortment of genes necessary for life is. Analysis of the genome and its activity will require continuing advances in the field of bioinformatics and the use of computers to investigate biological problems.
6. Further research on unusual microorganisms and microbial ecology will lead to a better understanding of the interactions between microorganisms and the inanimate world. Among other things, this understanding should enable us to more effectively control pollution. Similarly, it has become clear that microorganisms are essential partners with higher organisms in symbiotic relationships. Greater knowledge of symbiotic relationships can help improve our appreciation of the living world. It also will lead to improvements in the health of plants, livestock, and humans. 
7. Because of their relative simplicity, microorganisms are excellent subjects for the study of a variety of fundamental questions in biology. For example, how do complex cellular structures develop and how do cells communicate with one another and respond to the environment?
8. Finally, microbiologists will be challenged to carefully assess the implications of new discoveries and
   technological developments. They will need to communicate a balanced view of both the positive and
   negative long-term impacts of these events on society. The future of microbiology is bright.
9. The microbiologist René Dubos has summarized well the excitement and promise of microbiology: How extraordinary that, all over the world, microbiologists are now involved in activities as different as the study of gene structure, the control of disease, and the industrial processes based on the phenomenal ability of microorganisms to decompose and synthesize complex organic molecules. 
10. Microbiology is one of the most rewarding of professions because it gives its practitioners the opportunity to be in contact with all the other natural sciences and thus to contribute in many different ways to the betterment of human life.