The Discovery of Penicillin


Penicillin, one of the first antibiotics discovered, has saved countless lives since its development in the early 20th century. But how was this powerful drug discovered and developed?

Alexander Fleming's Accidental Discovery

The story of penicillin begins with Alexander Fleming, a Scottish scientist working at St. Mary's Hospital in London in 1928. While conducting experiments with bacteria, Fleming noticed that a mold called Penicillium notatum had contaminated one of his petri dishes. Instead of discarding the dish, he observed that the bacteria surrounding the mold had been killed, while the bacteria farther away were still alive.




Fleming realized that the mold was producing a substance that could kill harmful bacteria. He named this substance penicillin and began researching its potential as a medicine.

Howard Florey and Ernst Chain's Further Research

Fleming's discovery was not immediately developed into a medicine, but it caught the attention of Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, two scientists working at Oxford University. They began conducting extensive research on penicillin and were able to purify and concentrate the substance, making it more effective as a medicine.

In 1940, Florey and Chain successfully treated a patient with a serious infection using the purified form of penicillin. This marked the first time that the drug had been used to treat a human patient.

Mass Production and Widespread Use

After the successful treatment of the first patient, Florey and Chain worked to develop a method for mass-producing penicillin. With the help of the US and UK governments, they were able to increase production and by the end of World War II, penicillin was being used to treat soldiers on the front lines.

The discovery and development of penicillin revolutionized medicine and saved countless lives. Today, penicillin and other antibiotics continue to be vital tools in the fight against bacterial infections.