Microbiologists
On the Job
Microbiologists study organisms like bacteria, algae, or fungi. They may study the relationship between these organisms and disease.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Classify organisms based on their characteristics or behavior.
- Examine characteristics or behavior of living organisms.
- Monitor environmental impacts of production or development activities.
- Research diseases or parasites.
- Research microbiological or chemical processes or structures.
- Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
- Analyze biological samples.
- Analyze chemical compounds or substances.
- Inspect condition of natural environments.
- Supervise scientific or technical personnel.
Typical Working Conditions
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- Using e-mail.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Exposure to disease or infections.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
- Working with a group or team.
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
- Serious consequences if mistakes are made.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
