GATE Microbiology Syllabus 2026 - Download Topics Wise Syllabus PDF

GATE Microbiology Syllabus for Historical Perspective

• Discovery of microbial world

• Landmark discoveries relevant to the field of microbiology

• Controversy over spontaneous generation

• Role of microorganisms in the transformation of organic matter and the causation of diseases.

GATE Microbiology syllabus for Methods in Microbiology

• Pure culture technique

• Principles of microbial nutrition

• Enrichment culture techniques for isolation of microorganisms

• Antigen and antibody detection methods for microbial diagnosis

• Light-, phase contrast-, fluorescence- and electron-microscopy

• PCR, real-time PCR for quantitation of microbes

• Next generation sequencing technologies in microbiology

GATE Microbiology Syllabus 2026 for Microbial Taxonomy and Diversity

• Bacteria

• Archea and their broad classification

• Eukaryotic microbes: Yeasts, molds and protozoa

• Viruses and their classification

• Molecular approaches to microbial taxonomy and phylogeny

GATE Microbiology Syllabus for Prokaryotic Cells: Structure and Function

• Cell walls, cell membranes and their biosynthesis

• Mechanisms of solute transport across membranes

• Flagella and Pili

• Capsules

• Cell inclusions like endospores and gas vesicles

• Bacterial locomotion

• Including positive and negative chemotaxis

GATE Microbiology Syllabus Microbial Growth

• Definition of growth

• Growth curve

• Mathematical expression of the exponential growth phase

• Measurement of growth and growth yields

• Synchronous growth

• Continuous culture

• Effect of environmental factors on growth

• Bacterial biofilm and biofouling

GATE Microbiology syllabus for Control of Micro-organisms

Disinfection and Sterilization: Principles, methods and assessment of efficacy.

GATE Microbiology syllabus for Microbial Metabolism

• Energetics: redox reactions and electron carriers

• Electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation

• An overview of metabolism

• Glycolysis

• Pentose-phosphate pathway

• EntnerDoudoroff pathway

• Glyoxalate pathway

• The citric acid cycle

• Fermentation

• Aerobic and anaerobic respiration

• Chemolithotrophy

• Photosynthesis

• Calvin cycle

• Biosynthetic pathway for fatty acids synthesis

• Common regulatory mechanisms in synthesis of amino acids

• Regulation of major metabolic pathways

GATE Microbiology syllabus for Microbial Diseases and Host Pathogen Interaction

• Normal microbiota

• Classification of infectious diseases

• Reservoirs of infection

• Nosocomial infection

• Opportunistic infections

• Emerging infectious diseases

• Mechanism of microbial pathogenicity

• Nonspecific defense of host

• Antigens and antibodies

• Humoral and cell-mediated immunity

• Vaccines

• Passive immunization

• Immune deficiency

• Human diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and pathogenic fungi

GATE Microbiology syllabus for Chemotherapy/Antibiotics

• Normal microbiota

• Classification of infectious diseases

• Reservoirs of infection

• Nosocomial infection

• Opportunistic infections

• Emerging infectious diseases

• Mechanism of microbial pathogenicity

• Nonspecific defense of host

• Antigens and antibodies

• Humoral and cell-mediated immunity

• Vaccines

• Passive immunization

• Immune deficiency

• Human diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and pathogenic fungi

GATE Microbiology syllabus for Microbial Genetics

• Types of mutation

• UV and chemical mutagens

• Selection of mutants

• Ames test for mutagenesis

• Bacterial genetic system: transformation, conjugation, transduction, recombination, plasmids, transposons

• DNA repair

• Regulation of gene expression: repression and induction; Operon model; Bacterial genome with special reference to E.coli; Phage λ and its life cycle; RNA;

• Mutation in virus genomes, virus recombination and reassortment; Basic concept of microbial genomic

GATE Microbiology syllabus for Microbial Ecology

• Microbial interactions

• Carbon, sulphur and nitrogen cycles

• Soil microorganisms associated with vascular plants

• Bioremediation

• Uncultivable microorganisms

• Basic concept of metagenomics and metatranscriptomics

Particulars

Pattern

Mode of exam

Computer Based Test (CBT)

Test Duration

3 hours

Sections

General Aptitude (GA), Candidates Selected Subjects, Compulsory Subject

Types of questions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Multiple Select Questions (MSQs)

Numerical Answer Type (NAT)

Distribution of Marks

General Aptitude - 15 marks

Compulsory Section - 25 marks

Subject marks - 60 marks

Total Marks

100 marks

Marking Scheme

• 19 questions carrying a total of 30 marks
• 8 questions carrying 1 mark each
• 11 questions carrying 2 marks each

Negative Marking

• For a 1 mark MCQ, 1/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer.

• For a 2-mark MCQ, 2/3 mark will be deducted for a wrong answer.