Download History_of_microbiology

Chair of Medical Biology, Microbiology,
Virology, and Immunology
THE HISTORY OF MICROBIOLOGY.
Lecturer As. Prof. O. Pokryshko
Why Study Microbiology?

Pharmaceuticals


Vaccines/Antibiotics
Biotechnology

Bioremediation

Pathogenicity

Fundamental Biology
Microbiology
The study of microorganisms
 Microorganisms
living
things too small to be seen
with the unaided eye
 Microorganisms = Microbes
Microorganisms
Divided into six groups
 Bacteria
 Archae
 Algae
 Fungi
 Protozoa
 Viruses
History of Microbiology
 Microbes
discovered >300yrs
 Known to man during the mid
1800s
 Period of progress began &
continues to the present
Periods
of microbiology development
 Morphologic
 Physiologic
 Prophylactic
Morphological period
in microbiology history
(XVII middle of age).
It is also called micrographycal period, as the
study of microorganism came only to
description of their dimensions and forms.
Biological properties and their significances for
man
still
a
long
time
remained
incomprehensible.
Experimental phase
 Leeuwenhoek
 Pasteur
 Koch
 Lister
Before 17th century, study of microbiology was
hampered by the lack of appropriate tools to
observe microbes.
 Robert Hooke: In 1665 built a compound light
microscope and used it to observe thin slices of
cork. Coined the word cell.
 Anton van Leeuwenhoeck: In 1673 was the
first person to observe live microorganisms
which he called “animalcules” (bacteria,
protozoa), using single-lens microscopes that he
designed. He observed 50,000 different
specimens, reported findings to the Royal Society
of London
Jenner ( 1796)  Smallpox
immunity / Vaccine
 Edward
Pasteur’s Contributions:

Pasteurization: Developed a process in
which liquids are heated (at 65oC) to kill
most bacteria responsible for spoilage.

Disease Causes: Identified three different
microbes that caused silkworm diseases.

Vaccine: Developed a vaccine for rabies
from dried spinal cords of infected rabbits.

Directed Pasteur Institute until his death in
1895.
French Chemist Pasteur
(1861)
 Joseph
Lister (1859): Used
disinfectant to treat surgical wounds,
greatly reducing infection rates.
Considered the father of antiseptic
surgery.
 Robert
Koch (1876):

First person proved that microorganisms
caused diseases

Only specific microorganisms caused
specific diseases
Studied anthrax  affects cattle & humans
Proved that Bacillus anthracis causes
anthrax in cattle.



Later identified bacterium that causes
tuberculosis.
Study of viruses
 Iwanoski (1892) studying
diseases of tobacco plants
 Discovered TMV
 Filterable viruses
Prophylactic period
After 1914
Classic Metchnikov's
researches defined a
prophylactic period in
microbiology history.
The Patriarch of world and Ukrainian
microbiology - I. Metchnikov

Paul Ehrlich (1910): Search for “magic bullet”.
 Discovered
salvarsan, an arsenic derivative, was
effective against syphilis. (1st synthetic drug to
come in to widespread use)

Alexander Fleming (1928): Discovered that
penicillin produced by the mold Penicillium notatum
was able to prevent microbial growth.
 Penicillin

came into use 10 yrs later
-By the 1940s known as the
“wonder drug”
Rene Dubos (1939): Discovered two antibiotics
(gramidin and tyrocidine) produced by bacterium
(Bacillus brevis).