Microorganisms have existed on Earth for about 4 billion years, much longer than, animals, which first appeared 600 to 700 million years ago. Since then, these tiny single-cell organisms have colonized every conceivable habitat and can be found everywhere, from the depths of deep-sea hydrothermal vents to the upper reaches of the stratosphere. Their extraordinary adaptability and metabolic capabilities are indispensable not only for maintaining the Earth's biogeochemical cycles but also for supporting our daily lives. They influence soil quality in agriculture and our health through our body’s own microbiome. They help us treat water in wastewater treatment plants and are used in biotechnology to produce medicines, chemicals, and food. However, they are also known and feared as infectious pathogens that affect humans, animals, and plants, a problem that is becoming increasingly serious due to the silent pandemic of antibiotic resistance . In short, we live in a world dominated by microbes!

The great diversity of microorganisms is also reflected in the various microbiological research areas at the University of Bonn. The broad field of microbiology is represented by numerous research groups across seven institutes, both in the curriculum of the master's program in microbiology and in research: