Microbial cells are incredibly diverse and wonderfully adapted to the niches they inhabit. Researchers that belong to the Molecular Genetics and Cellular Microbiology (MGCM) section ask questions about how microbial cells function, and study genes and gene products (RNA and/or protein as well as the whole cells) for answers.

MGCM researchers are just as likely to be working with pathogenic organisms as they are with microbes of more environmental importance. Many focus on model organisms such as Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Sinorhizobium meliloti, and Streptomyces coelicolor, to name a few. Basic research questions can include why a particular cellular component is important for pathogenicity, how members of a species communicate with each other, or how structural components are synthesized and coordinated to create a living cell capable of reproduction. Microorganisms investigated includes viruses (eg. bacteriophage lambda), bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Neurospora crassa. Most MCGM researchers undertake fundamental research that ultimately will have practical applications in a field such as biotechnology and synthetic biology, industrial and food microbiology, or in developing new molecular biology methods.

MGCM researchers make heavy use of cutting-edge molecular biology techniques and thus offer students the opportunity to become highly trained in these important skills in addition to becoming expert microbiologists. These skills are highly valued by potential employers in industrial and research settings, as well as being a firm footing for an academic carreer.