内容简介：
【简介】 The UW-Madison is home to a large number of microbiologists located in many different departments (the ASM directory has 350 listings in the Madison area). The Department of Bacteriology serves as a focus for microbiology throughout the campus. The Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology (Medical School) covers the clinical microbiology and immunology perspective, while food safety and food microbiology expertise is provided by the Departments of Food Science and Food Microbiology and Toxicology (Food Research Institute), both in CALS. Microbial ecology is an important emphasis in the Department of Plant Pathology (CALS). Other departments contributing to the microbiology community include Agronomy(CALS), Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences (Vet School), Animal Sciences(CALS), ) Biochemistry (CALS), Biomolecular Chemistry (Medical School), Cellular and Molecular Biology (interdisciplinary), Genetics (CALS), Horticulture (CALS), Oncology ( Medical School), Pathobiological Sciences (Vet School), Preventive Medicine (Medical School), School of Pharmacy, and Soil Science (CALS).
The Department of Bacteriology provides a foundation in basic research which supports the entire microbiological community. Research strengths encompass microbial physiology and genetics, structure-function relationships and cellular processes. In addition, Bacteriology provides service courses in microbiology for majors throughout the campus as well as a comprehensive core curriculum for Bacteriology majors. Well-trained microbiologists are the lifeline for many industries, agencies, health organizations and academic institutions. Bacteriology graduates are in high demand in all of these areas, both within the State of Wisconsin and nationally.
The research programs within the Department of Bacteriology enjoy excellent support ($4.8 million external funds in 1999). The research focuses on fundamental life process but has had significant industrial application in bioremediation, insect pest management and molecular diagnostics. The historical focus has been, and will continue to be in procaryotic biology but the department is expanding its perspective by bringing in immunology and lower eucaryotic biology.
Research Overview The Department of Bacteriology has a long history of research excellence dating from early work by outstanding microbiologists such as E.B. Fred, Ira Baldwin, Elizabeth McCoy. Subsequent to these pioneers came Kenneth Raper, J.B. Wilson, Harlyn Halvorson, P.W. Wilson, William C. Frazier, Tom Brock, Winston Brill, Greg Zeikus, Martha Howe, Carol Gross, Randy Dimond, Jerald Ensign, Ronald Hinsdill among others. Today the Department of Bacteriology continue the tradition with a very dynamic faculty at the forefront of research in their specialities. In its rating of graduate programs in 2000, U.S. News and World Report rated Microbiology at UW-Madison as third in the nation behind Harvard and Stanford. Currently there are 13 faculty members with primary appointments in the Department of Bacteriology. In addition there are three USDA faculty whose university appointment is in Bacteriology but whose primary appointment is in a USDA research facility such as the Forest Products Laboratory o r the Dairy Forage Research Center. The research activities of the departmental faculty are very well funded with the 99/00 level of funding in the $4.8 million/year range.
The research mission of the department is to provide basic research in the microbial and related sciences for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. A primary focus of the Department has been procaryotic biology but not to the exclusion of the study of lower eucaryotes. It has long been departmental philosophy to encompass diverse research areas and topics within procaryotic biology rather than to concentrate research efforts in a few specific areas. The breadth of research in the department ranges from study of microbes in the environment to examination of subcellular structures at the atomic level and includes analysis of fundamental biological processes such as gene transcription, DNA replication, regulation of gene expression, integration of metabolic pathways, determination of protein and organelle structures, molecular recognition signals, nitrogen fixation and metal containing proteins, bacterial photosynthesis and cytochrome function, degradation of toxic chemicals, h ost-symbiont interactions, production of microbial insecticides, degradation of wood (lignin primarily) by molds, microbial ecology of the rumen, and the production of organic solvents from wood products. There is also diversity in the microorganisms studied.
