Robert Koch 30 th September 2015

Robert Koch Built on the work of Louis Pasteur IDENTIFIED bacteria that caused specific diseases. Scientific Method Paved the way for vaccines and magic bullets to be invented.

Diseases Koch Identified TB (1882) – a major killer in 19 th Century caused the death of 1/7. High mortality rate (if untreated 50%) Now vaccinations and antibiotics. (Although 1/3 of the world’s population have it) Anthrax (1877) – Now rare thanks to eradication programme. Spores still survive however. Treatable with antibiotics. Developed as a biological weapon by UK (ww2). Cholera (1883) – A quick and lethal killer which struck big cities often.

Legacy of Koch From his work Pasteur developed vaccines for Cholera, Anthrax and Rabies His students went on to identify the bacteria that causes: Diphtheria, pneumonia, Typhoid, Gonorrhoea, Meningitis, Leprosy, Plague, Tetanus, Syphilis. Won Nobel Prize (later, 2 other members of his team would also).

Team Spirit Paul Ehrlich (German): Nobel Prize winner and inventor of the first magic bullet. Gerhard Domagk (German): Nobel Prize winner and inventor of the first sulphonomide. Julius Richard Petri (German): Obvious! Koch’s team of scientists would be perhaps the most successful in the history of medicine.

Make a CV for Koch Name Job Location Main influences Discoveries Achievements

GERM THEORY Pasteur convinced other scientists that diseases are caused by microbes (bacteria or Germs) Identifying Bacteria Koch was the first scientist to identify specific microbes that caused individual diseases

EXPLAIN THE LINK: 1.Anti-biotic medicines 2.Vaccines 3.Cleaner hospitals 4.Public Health 5.Antiseptic surgery 6.Training of Doctors and Nurses 7.More investment in Science 8.Higher life expectancy

Koch or Pasteur? A French scientist PASTEUR

Koch or Pasteur? Worked with Paul Ehrlich KOCH

Koch or Pasteur? Investigated a disease in silkworm PASTEUR

Koch or Pasteur? Discovered what caused TB KOCH

Koch or Pasteur? Discovered GERMS PASTEUR

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HOMEWORK 1. Explain the key features of either Koch or Pasteur (7marks) 2. Using the coloured card/paper, I want you to have made up 4 revision cards about the people that we have looked at so far. These should include – main findings, why people opposed the findings and a score of importance overall out of ten.

Choose one and explain their importance for the prevention of disease: Robert Koch Robert Koch did not actually develop any vaccines or find a cure for any disease and therefore his short term importance was limited. However, his importance for the long term prevention of disease was almost equal to any other individual in the history of medicine. Koch initially built on the work of Pasteur and Germ Theory, but was important because his work identified that specific bacteria caused disease – which proved Germ Theory in relation to disease. Furthermore, Koch was able to isolate bacteria that caused disease which allowed Pasteur and other to build on his work by developing vaccines in the late nineteenth century and magic bullets in the early twentieth century. He was key in the identification of major killer diseases including: Anthrax (1877), TB (1882) and Cholera (1883). Equally significant was Koch’s importance in establishing a scientific method and process which became a model of best practice. He developed a staining process in the identification of bacteria, worked on purification techniques, and used Agar and Petri dishes and an effective medium for growing and studying micro-organisms. Finally, he developed what is know as the ‘Koch Postulates’ which are the steps that need to be reached before it is possible to conclusively state that a particular bacteria causes and specific disease. These were all important steps in the prevention of disease because they created a model for later teams to follow. Koch’s importance can also be shown by his inspiration and direction of many other key individuals in the story of the prevention of disease. Koch was the first to really understanding the importance of ‘teams’ in developing an understanding of disease. This was again and key model for scientific work in the twentieth century. Moreover, those individuals that worked with Koch went on to be leaders in the field: Paul Ehrlich who invented the first magic bullet, Gerhard Domagk who identified the first sulphonamide and Julius Petri whose legacy is still very much evident in laboratories across the world. Koch’s long term importance for the prevention of disease was huge. He created the foundations for 20 th Century medicine and the development of vaccines and cures that ensured extraordinary progress for more than a century after his death.