Fleming, sir Alexander

1995/08/02 Azkune Mendia, Iñaki - Elhuyar Fundazioa | Kaltzada, Pili - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Biografiak

(1881-1955)

Scottish bacteriologist born in Darvel (Ayrshire) on August 6, 1881. He studied at the Kilmarnock Academy and in 1902 he obtained a scholarship to study medicine at the University of London.

From the beginning he showed interest in bacteriology, especially for the chemotherapy of diseases.

During World War I he worked in the Royal Army Medical Corps. There he began to experiment, discovering in 1922 the protein called lysozima. This protein is found in tears and mucosities and acts against several bacteria.

The most important discovery of flemings came by surprise. In 1928, as a professor at the University of London, he worked with staphylococcus germs and left them uncovered. A few days later, after finishing the work with them, when he was going to throw a container with germs, he realized that some rays of mold fell to him. He discovered the disappearance of bacteria around each ray.

Fleming isolated the mold giving the name of Penicillium notatum. Mold thought that at the last moment it produced some compound that inhibited bacterial growth. He tested with different types of bacteria. Some continued to grow. Others do not. Subsequently, he studied the effects of this chemical, which was very important to apply it to white blood cells. Although penicillin was poisonous to bacteria, white blood cells in the blood had no negative consequences.

But Fleming was not chemical and could not isolate and identify the substance found. This discovery did not attract too much the attention of the people.

The situation changed radically after the beginning of World War II. The search for new antibacterial substances was essential for wounded soldiers. For this reason, the British doctors Flore and Chain started working with penicillin and they had a great success.

Years later, the American microbiologist Waksman gave the name of antibiotic to penicillin. However, for a long time between the discovery and application of this substance, the German physician Domagk discovered sulfamides. Despite not being strictly antibiotics, they initiated the era of miraculous drugs.

However, the value of penicillin was known and in 1944 Fleming, together with Florey and Chain, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine. In 1945 he received again that of Physiology.

Fleming died in London on 11 March 1955.