Molecular Ecology and Microbial Biotechnology (MNM)

Recent advancements in molecular biology now help us to differentiate organisms within three domains i.e. bacteria, archaea and eukarya, and identify evolutionary traits that result in speciation, which ultimately shapes the ecosystems. Meanwhile, anthropogenic activities greatly impact life and ecosystems at both micro and macro levels. This area covers a broad range of research topics including microbial ecology and genetics, environmental microbiology and biotechnology, conservation biology, bioinformatics, and molecular ecology and evolution.

The objectives of this concentration area are to introduce key concepts in environmental microbiology, molecular biology and genetics and use them for better understanding of natural and engineered systems, specifically the ecology and evolution of species, and the effects of environmental and geographical conditions on individual organisms, populations and communities.