Although invisible to the naked eye, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites can be found everywhere, from the air we breathe to inside our favorite foods. Microbiologists investigate how these organisms exist and affect our lives. Dale B. Emeagwali is renowned for her contributions to the field of microbiology; in fact, she received the Scientist of the Year Award from the National Technical Association in 1996, which recognizes researchers whose discoveries have benefited humankind. Among these discoveries, she demonstrated that Ras oncogene (the most common culprit in human cancers) expression could be inhibited by antisense methodology (the use of small molecules to prevent the oncoprotein from being made, and thereby suppressing tumor formation). Emeagwali attributes her best experiences to working on a variety of organisms and problems, which has allowed her to always bring a fresh perspective to her work.