Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) was a medical microbiologist. He made one of the greatest accidental discoveries ever. It led to a breakthrough in medical science.
Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) was a medical microbiologist. He made one of the greatest accidental discoveries ever. It led to a breakthrough in medical science.
Discovering penicillin
In 1928, Fleming discovered penicillin, the first form of antibiotics. He grew cultures of bacteria on petri dishes in the hospital where he worked. A fungal spore happened to contaminate one of the bacteria cultures and grew into a fungal colony. The bacteria round the fungal colony failed to grow as well as the bacteria on the other areas of the petri dish. From this, Fleming deduced that a substance produced by the fungus must be slowing down the bacteria’s growth. He called this substance penicillin after the fungus on the petri dish, Penicillium notatum.
Major healer
Fleming’s discovery earned him the Nobel Prize for Medicine. It led to the production of many antibiotics. Many illnesses, such as lung and bladder infections, which are caused by bacteria can now be cured thanks to antibiotics. Despite the advantages, the use of antibiotics also involves risks, such as resistance.