Microbiology (from Greek mīkros, “small”; bios, “life”; and -logia, “study”) is defined as the scientific study of microorganisms. Medical microbiology, which continues to evolve constantly, comprises of various subsets such as virology, bacteriology, protistology, mycology, parasitology and immunology. In the present era, there is an essential requirement for medical students to be competent in the field of infectious diseases, their prevention and management.
The Department of Microbiology of the Faculty of Medicine, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka was established in 2019. It is housed in the second floor of the Paraclinical building. At present, the department conducts teaching activities for medical undergraduates. With the expansion of the available facilities, resources and expertise, the department hopes to accommodate postgraduate students for Masters and Doctoral degrees in the future. 

We aim to provide our medical undergraduates with optimal knowledge on medical microbiology and immunology and offer opportunities for the development of related skills, empowering our students to become medical professionals competent in diagnosing and managing infectious diseases.
The areas of teaching broadly comprise of infectious diseases, their aetiopathogenesis, immunopathology, laboratory diagnosis including, management, infection prevention and control. Currently the microbiology and Immunology components are taught in the Infection 1 and 2 modules as well as in the ‘Blood and Immune system-2’ module of the paraclinical curriculum.
The department of Microbiology also conducts research on Infectious diseases. We also strive to extend our fullest assistance to the community with the facilities of our laboratory through diagnostic services.