The Department of Microbiology was established in 1995 to provide education at the M.Sc. and Ph.D level. The Department of Microbiology runs a full time two year program leading to the award of Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Microbiology under the LOCF-CBCS.  The M.Sc. program was initiated with the enrollment of twelve students each year. The current intake for this program is fifty students along with admission against supernumerary seats each year. The M.Sc. program includes four semesters of course work and the students are offered courses in Microbial Diversity, Microbial Physiology, Virology, Immunology, Enzymology, Environmental Microbiology, Microbial Pathogenicity, Molecular Biology, Microbial Genetics, Recombinant DNA technology, Industrial Microbiology, Agricultural Microbiology, Bioinformatics, IPR, Computers and biostatistics and Food and Dairy  Microbiology. These courses cover both theory classes, as well as rigorous practicals. As a part of their curriculum students deliver seminars on various scientific topics. To verse the students with industrial environment a two months summer training in research institute/laboratory or industry is a mandatory component of curriculum which ultimately helps them in placement.

The department also enrolls students for a Ph.D degree in Microbiology. The faculty in the department manages and runs their laboratory independently where research is carried out in different areas of basic and applied microbiology. The faculty members have national as well as international collaborations to develop mutually beneficial scientific interactions. This has also helped our laboratories to develop new technologies diversify our areas of research. The department has two broad areas of research: ‘Industrial, Food and Environmental Microbiology’and ‘Molecular Biology and Pathogenesis of Microbial Infections’. In the broad area of Industrial, food and environmental microbiology, the specific research interests of the department are in the areas of production of industrially important microbial enzymes, biofuels, bioactive compounds and carbohydrates, lignocellulose biodegradation, ethanol production from lignocellulose, development of bionanocomposites. Grants from DST, UGC, HSCSIT have strengthened the Department’s research.

Since inception more than forty students have carried out their doctoral research work in the Department, and have been awarded Ph.D degree under this program. Several of them now hold leadership positions in academia and industry. Over the years, more than two hundred research papers have been authored by Department faculty members in peer-reviewed journals of national and international repute.

The students of the Microbiology Department are a vibrant group, enthusiastically organizing and participating in various activities of the Department. Ten students are currently registered in the Ph.D programme, and eighty six students are presently enrolled in the Master’s program. Microbiological Society has also been established in the department to inculcate the scientific attitude in the students, so that they can stand in any academic or professional platforms to compete at national and international level. Under this society various activities like guest lectures, quiz competition, poster making, collage making, debates, sports activities, etc. are organized and facilitated on regular basis. Students are encouraged to participate in these activities with enthusiasm for their overall development.