Which of the following is NOT a growing area of microbial study?

• A. Microbial biotechnology
• B. Astrobiology
• C. Microbial genomics
• D. Classical phrenology

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of the question, which asks to identify the option that is NOT a growing area of microbial study.
2. Step 2: Review each option to determine its relevance to current microbial research: Microbial biotechnology involves using microbes for industrial and medical applications, which is a rapidly expanding field.
3. Step 3: Astrobiology studies life in the universe, including microbial life in extreme environments, and is an emerging interdisciplinary field involving microbiology.
4. Step 4: Microbial genomics focuses on sequencing and analyzing microbial genomes, a cutting-edge area that advances understanding of microbial functions and evolution.
5. Step 5: Classical phrenology is a discredited pseudoscience related to skull shape and personality, unrelated to microbiology and not a growing scientific field.