Microbiology, the study of microorganisms, is a central discipline at the foundation of biomedical research, genomics and ecology. Microbes cause many diseases world wide, but also catalyze the biogeochemical cycles that maintain Earth's biosphere. Microbes are important models for biochemical, genetics and genomics research, since they can be genetically modified, and their genomes are relatively small. Hundreds of microbial genomes are being sequenced, and there is a large database of microbial genes and genomes. Many new microorganisms and genes have yet to be discovered. There are many exciting new developments in microbiology.

UCSC's Division of Physical and Biological Sciences and Jack Baskin School of Engineering support a broad range of microbiological research. Microbiology at UCSC is diverse and interdisciplinary. Faculty that teach microbiology- related courses are found in the Departments of Biomolecular Engineering, Environmental Toxicology, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Environmental Studies and Ocean Sciences, with research spanning microbial genomes, biochemistry, biomedical and environmental research. Research is conducted in state-of-the-art laboratories, with access to shared facilities, equipment, and computational tools.

The Division of Physical and Biological Sciences and the Baskin School of Engineering offer excellent training opportunities for postdoctoral fellows, as well graduate students and undergraduates who are interested in microbiology topics.