1. The Germ Theory of Disease Alexander Fleming
“One sometimes finds what one is not looking for.”

2. The Germ Theory of Disease
Important early microbiologists helped to develop the Germ Theory
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek (1670’s)
Ignaz Semmelweis (1840’s)
Louis Pasteur (1860’s)
Joseph Lister (1860’s)
Robert Koch (1870’s)
Alexander Fleming (1920’s)

3. Alexander Fleming

4. Alexander Fleming Scottish Biologist and Pharmacologist
Discovered the first antibiotic

5. Alexander Fleming
Antibiotic =

6. Alexander Fleming
World War I: worked as medical officer

7. Alexander Fleming Problems with antiseptics:
Work well on surfaces, but deep wounds are harder to treat
Kill bacteria indiscriminately

8. Alexander Fleming Began searching for more effective antiseptic
Discovered lysozyme =

9. Alexander Fleming
“ When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer. But I suppose that was exactly what I did”

10. Discovery of Penicillin
Brilliant researcher, untidy laboratory
Contaminated petri dish contained mold that was attacking staphylococci

11. Discovery of Penicillin
Found that Penicillin could be used against:

12. Problems with Penicillin

13. Penicillin
Fleming finally abandoned penicillin, but two scientists took up his research during World War II