Alexander Fleming

(August 6, 1881 - March 11, 1955)
Born in Scotland
Year of Discovery: 1928

Discovered Penicillin - the Mold That Turned into the  First Antibiotic

Fleming possessed a naturally curious mind and was a brilliant researcher. But, perhaps caught up in his own thoughts, he was often careless when it came to conditions within his lab. Fortunately, rather than being a problem, his lack of organization led to one of the most significant discoveries in modern medicine. After returning from vacation, Fleming discovered some culture plates he'd forgotten to properly store prior to his trip. The plates were ruined - infected with a fungus, except for a small ring where the fungus wouldn't grow. This immediately captured Fleming's attention and he got to work. He isolated the organism responsible for prohibiting the growth of the fungus, and identified it as being from the penicillium genus. He named it penicillin. He had discovered the first antibiotic, which would eventually be credited with saving over 80 million lives.

Today commonplace minor infections are of little concern and are easily treated. But, prior to the discovery of penicillin, simple conditions could be a death sentence. Fleming's discovery of penicillin laid the foundation that allowed others to develop the "wonder drug" that has since saved millions of lives. It was from a carefully preserved strain of Fleming's penicillin that Howard Florey and his team completed their work over a decade later.

Fleming was investigating Staphylococcus, a common bacteria, when he made his discovery. His further investigation revealed penicillin was capable of fighting all gram-positive bacteria, including those causing scarlet fever, pneumonia, meningitis, and diphtheria. It does so by attaching to the cell walls of gram-positive bacteria and interfering with their ability to produce new cell walls when they divide. His penicillin was remarkably strong, able to contain Staphylococcus even when diluted 800 times. But, the penicillin was also extremely difficult to isolate and produce in quantity. After a series of inconclusive experiments, Fleming abandoned his pursuit of penicillin - but he carefully maintained the active strains he had developed, one of which became the starting point for the breakthrough research conducted by Florey and his team.

It seems fitting Florey's team completed their work amidst World War II. Fleming had similarly fought to save the lives of soldiers in 1914, during the war between Britain and Germany. He was convinced antiseptics were ineffective in protecting wounds from infection and sought a better means of treatment. His discovery of penicillin would provide that relief for tens of thousands of World War II soldiers.

Introduction by Tim Anderson

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	Science Heroes Born in Scotland Alexander Fleming Discovered the antibiotic properties of penicillin Born August 6, 1881, at Lochfield farm in East Ayrshire, Scotland - Fleming discovered the antibiotic properties of penicillin. More... James Black Developed beta blockers Born July 14, 1924, in Scotland - Black developed beta blockers to treat heart rhythm disorders and high blood pressure. More... Joseph Lister Developed the antiseptic surgical technique Born April 5, 1827, in England (Lister gets "honorable mention," as his discovery was made in Scotland) - Lister developed the antiseptic surgical technique, ushering in the era of sterile surgical practices. More... « 01 Alexander Fleming Discovered the antibiotic properties of penicillin 02 James Black Developed beta blockers 03 Joseph Lister Developed the antiseptic surgical technique » Pause Frontpage Slideshow (version 2.0.0) - Copyright © 2006-2008 by JoomlaWorks Click the thumbnail image to jump to the scientist.  Click the large image, scientist's name or "read more" to go to the scientist's page.

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Books About the Scientist

Hantula, Richard. Alexander Fleming: By Richard Hantula (Trailblazers of the Modern World) (Ages 4-8) World Almanac Books, 2003.

Tames, Richard. Alexander Fleming (Lifetimes Series) (Childrens) Franklin Watts, 1990.

Kaye, J. Leonard. Life Of Alexander Flemming (Pioneers in Health and Medicine) (Ages 9-12) 21st Century, 1997.

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