Alexander Fleming

Discovered penicillin, the world's first antibiotic, transforming medical treatment and saving millions of lives.

Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish bacteriologist, is renowned for his discovery of penicillin, a breakthrough that revolutionized medicine and saved countless lives. Born in 1881 in Lochfield, Scotland, Fleming had an inquisitive nature and a strong interest in the sciences, which guided him towards a career in medicine.

Fleming's landmark discovery occurred in 1928 when he noticed that a contaminated Petri dish he had discarded contained a mold that was inhibiting the growth of staphylococci bacteria. He identified this mold as Penicillium notatum and realized its potential to fight bacterial infections. Although initial attempts to purify and stabilize the compound were challenging, his discovery set the stage for the development of the antibiotic penicillin.

It was not until the 1940s, during World War II, that penicillin was mass-produced and extensively used to treat war-related infections. The development and use of penicillin marked the beginning of the antibiotic era, greatly reducing the death rate from bacterial infections and changing the landscape of medical treatment.

Fleming's work earned him numerous accolades, including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945, which he shared with Howard Florey and Ernest Boris Chain, who further developed penicillin for clinical use. His discovery remains one of the most significant medical achievements of the 20th century.

For more details on Alexander Fleming, visit his Nobel biography.