The Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology is engaged in education and research on all aspects of plant pathology, plant disease management, and microbiology. The department confers BS, MS, and PhD degrees through offering a range of courses that address the biology of all microbes, including fungi, bacteria, nematodes, viruses, viroids and phytoplasma, as well as Plant Pathology, Plant Disease Control, and Applied Microbiology, with the aim to equip the students with a solid background in plant pathology and microbiology. The department faculties and research teams address the needs from growers and the quarantine agency to solve immediate agricultural problems, which involve the development of molecular techniques for rapid diagnosis of plant diseases and the strategies for efficient management of plant diseases. In addition, we investigate microbial ecology and the mechanisms underlying the development of both infectious and non-infectious plant diseases by applying classical and cutting-edge technologies. The department also emphasizes on the study of microbial diversity and the applications of microbial resources, with special interest on the analysis of secondary metabolites, the identification of physiologically active substances, and the development of microbial agents for organic agriculture. The department focuses research in five main fields: