Alexander Fleming Discovers Peinicillin
His greatest gift to mankind ever! Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928. He was a Scottish biologist and bacteriologist who had an immense understanding of medicine. He wrote many articles on bacteriology, immunology and chemotherapy.
|
Sponsored Links :
|
Among other discoveries, his best known discovery of an enzyme called lysozyme in 1922 and another was the discovery of antibiotic substance Penicillin from a fungus called Penicillium notatum. In the year 1945, he was honored with a Nobel Prize for his achievement in Medicine, which he shared with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain.
In 1901, Fleming enrolled at the St. Mary Hospital, London to study medicine and opted to become a surgeon, when he passed out with distinction in 1906.
He started his career as an assistant bacteriologist to Sir Almroth Wright, a pioneer in vaccine therapy and immunology. Fleming's research at this time primarily involved the use of Paul Ehrlich's Salvarsan in the treatment of syphilis. Meanwhile, Fleming gained M.B. and then B.Sc with Gold Medal in1908 for his thesis “Acute Bacterial Infections,” and became a lecturer in the same hospital (St. Mary) till 1914. He was mostly devoted towards the research and study of bacteria for rest of his life.
It was after World War I, when one day while working in his lab in 1928, Fleming accidentally discovered certain bacteria- repelling mold in an uncovered culture of staphylococci. This mold was identified as Penicillium notatum and hence named Penicillin after it. Fleming published his findings in 1929 but could not proceed further due to lack of chemist or biochemist.
A year later, Fleming was joined by Florey and Chain, who further developed this significant discovery into an effective antibiotic. As recognition for his contribution, Alexander Fleming was knighted in the year 1944 and together with Chain and Florey; he was awarded with the Nobel Prize in 1945.
More Articles :
|
Alexander Fleming died on March 11, 1955, at the age of 74. He was buried at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. 