Chapter 4 · Modern Society
Alexander Fleming and Penicillin
Source: Handbook p.25
Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955), born in Scotland, discovered penicillin in 1928 while researching influenza in London. Penicillin was later developed into a usable drug by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain. By the 1940s, it was in mass production and saved countless lives during WWII. Fleming was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945. Penicillin is still used to treat bacterial infections today — a transformative contribution to modern medicine.
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