American Society for Microbiology

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), originally the Society of American Bacteriologists, is a professional organization for scientists who study viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa as well as other aspects of microbiology. Founded in 1899, ASM has grown into the largest life science professional organization in the world. The Society publishes a variety of scientific journals, textbooks, and other educational materials related to microbiology and infectious diseases. Additionally, ASM organizes several large annual meetings, as well as workshops and professional development opportunities for its members.

ASM was founded in 1899 under the name the "Society of American Bacteriologists". In December 1960, it was renamed the "American Society for Microbiology."

The mission of ASM is "to promote and advance the microbial science". The society seeks to accomplish this mission through:

ASM also operates the American College of Microbiology which administers certification programs for microbiologists and accredits postdoctoral training programs.

ASM is based in the United States, and has 47,000 members throughout the world, one-third of whom live outside the United States. It is the largest life science professional organization in the world. Membership is open to all, and is offered at a discounted rate to students, postdoctoral fellows, and emeritus faculty. Members pay dues to support the activities of ASM.

The ASM governance has two major components. The main decision-making body is the ASM Council which serves as the Society's Board of Directors. The ASM council is made up of 88 members including elected officers, chairs of ASM permanent boards, and representatives from the various scientific divisions and local branches.

The second component is the Council Policy Committee or CPC which serves as the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. The CPC acts in place of the ASM Council when the Council is not convened. The CPC has 18 voting members: the ASM officers, the chairs of the six program boards, the chair of the American Academy of Microbiology and 6 at large members. Additionally, three standing committees report directly to the CPC: the Communications Committee, the Professional Practice Committee, and the ASM Press Committee.

ASM also maintains six boards which focus on the society's major areas of interest. These boards are:

The ASM holds six large annual meetings. The largest, ASM Microbe, is a combination of what was formerly the ASM General Meeting and the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, and includes a broad variety of microbiology topics. Other annual meetings cater to narrower audiences and include ASM Biothreats (formerly ASM Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research) which focuses on biodefense and emerging diseases, the Clinical Virology Symposium which focuses on viral infections, the Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance which is held jointly by ASM and the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, the Conference for Undergraduate Educators which focuses on biology education at the undergraduate level, and the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students which highlights research done by students from populations underrepresented in microbiology research. In addition to these regular meetings, ASM also holds numerous smaller conferences devoted to specialized areas of research.

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