International Union of Microbiological Societies
Encyclopedia
The Internation Union of Microbiological Societies or IUMS, founded in 1927 as the International Society of Microbiology, is now one of 27 Scientific Unions of the International Council of Science (ICSU).
The objectives of the Union are to promote the study of microbiological sciences internationally: initiate, facilitate and coordinate research and other scientific activities which involve international cooperation; ensure the discussion and dissemination of the results of international conferences, symposia and meetings and assist in the publication of their reports; represent microbiological sciences in ICSU and maintain contact with other international organizations.
IUMS activities include the classification and nomenclature of bacteria, fungi and viruses, food microbiology, medical microbiology and diagnostics, culture collections, education, and biological standardization.
The IUMS has three divisions:
These divisions each have their own set of officers and objectives. Each division is responsible for the organization of their own International Congresses. They work together toward the goal of furthering microbiology research and communication globally.
In addition to the three divisions, the IUMS also conducts scientific activities through the following:
The president-elect of IUMS is Professor Geoffrey L. Smith
of Imperial College London
.
The objectives of the Union are to promote the study of microbiological sciences internationally: initiate, facilitate and coordinate research and other scientific activities which involve international cooperation; ensure the discussion and dissemination of the results of international conferences, symposia and meetings and assist in the publication of their reports; represent microbiological sciences in ICSU and maintain contact with other international organizations.
IUMS activities include the classification and nomenclature of bacteria, fungi and viruses, food microbiology, medical microbiology and diagnostics, culture collections, education, and biological standardization.
The IUMS has three divisions:
- BacteriologyBacteriologyBacteriology is the study of bacteria. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classification, and characterization of bacterial species...
and Applied MicrobiologyMicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
(BAM) - MycologyMycologyMycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
- VirologyVirologyVirology is the study of viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy...
These divisions each have their own set of officers and objectives. Each division is responsible for the organization of their own International Congresses. They work together toward the goal of furthering microbiology research and communication globally.
In addition to the three divisions, the IUMS also conducts scientific activities through the following:
- Specialist international committees (6)
- International commissions (8)
- International federations (2).
The president-elect of IUMS is Professor Geoffrey L. Smith
Geoffrey L. Smith
Professor Geoffrey Lilley Smith FRS FMedSci FIBiol is a British virologist and medical research authority in the area of Vaccinia virus and the family of Poxviruses...
of Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
.