The Microbiology Department is one of the fundamental scientific pillars of the Libyan Biotechnology Research Center, established in 2001 as a specialized research platform dedicated to the study of microorganisms and their direct impact on human, animal, and plant health, as well as their role in food safety and environmental sustainability. The department focuses on conducting advanced scientific research to address health and environmental challenges caused by pathogenic microorganisms while exploring the potential of beneficial species for agricultural, industrial, and food applications.
Main Research Areas:
1. Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance: Monitoring antibiotic-resistant bacteria prevalent in Libyan hospitals, particularly in intensive care units.
2. Pathogen Detection and Epidemiology: Studying the presence and spread of pathogenic microorganisms in food, water, the environment, and other biological sources.
3. Natural Antimicrobial Studies: Investigating the effects of medicinal plant extracts on specific pathogenic bacterial strains.
4. Food Spoilage Research: Identifying bacterial and fungal agents responsible for food spoilage and developing biotechnological solutions to reduce economic losses.
5. Beneficial Microorganism Applications: Isolating beneficial bacterial and fungal species from soil, studying their potential for biological pest control, and utilizing them in the production of biofertilizers, biopesticides, and other biotechnological applications.