Microbiology
The branches of microbiology can be classified into pure and applied sciences, or divided according to taxonomy, as is the case with bacteriology, mycology, protozoology, and phycology. There is considerable overlap between the specific branches of microbiology with each other and with other disciplines, and certain aspects of these branches can extend beyond the traditional scope of microbiology
While some fear microbes due to the association of some microbes with various human diseases, many microbes are also responsible for numerous beneficial processes such as industrial fermentation (e.g. the production of alcohol, vinegar and dairy products), antibiotic production and act as molecular vehicles to transfer DNA to complex organisms such as plants and animals. Scientists have also exploited their knowledge of microbes to produce biotechnologically important enzymes such as Taq polymerase, reporter genes for use in other genetic systems and novel molecular biology techniques such as the yeast two-hybrid system.
Arnold Demain
The work done under Demain's direction in Rahway has been described in "Microbiology Australia" as “remarkable” in its “level of innovation,” in that it identified “novel biochemical pathways” that improved “natural levels of production” several thousandfold. Demain himself has said that thanks to Merck, “I learned early in my career that there was a lot more to applied microbiology than pickles and sauerkraut, and that microbes could be used to make antibiotics, produce commercial enzymes, convert steroids to be used for arthritis and rheumatism, make amino acids and vitamins for human and animal nutrition, and make many medicinals for human and animal health.”