A Microbiologist, or Clinical Microbiologist, is responsible for studying microorganisms and how they interact with other living things. Their duties include using laboratory equipment to run tests on bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, recording their findings in detailed reports and making presentations at conferences and other events about their research findings.
A Microbiologist should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Microbiologist should be able to execute:
- Performing laboratory experiments used to diagnose and treat illnesses.
- Supervise biological technicians and their work to evaluate the accuracy of their results.
- Isolate bacteria and other microorganism cultures for future study.
- Classify microorganisms found in collected specimens for future reference.
- Monitor the effects of microorganisms on animals, plants and the environment.
- Research the findings of other scientists and attend conferences to stay up-to-date.
A competitive Microbiologist will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- Observation skills as they have to constantly monitor their experiments for behavior patterns.
- Perseverance so as to not become discouraged through multiple trial and error experiments.
- Time management skills in order to meet deadlines while also completing a thorough and quality research project.
- Communication skills to discuss with one another and all others involved in the research and outcome.
- Math skills to be able to do calculus and statistics that may be involved in their research projects.
