Frontiers of Medical Microbiology

1. Dr. P. Saranraj
Head
Department of Microbiology
Sacred Heart College (Autonomous)
Tirupattur
E.mail: microsaranraj@gmail.com

2.  Microbiology is the study of large and diverse
group of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, virus
and protozoa).
 Medical microbiology is a branch of medical
science concerned with the Prevention, Diagnosis
and Treatment of infectious diseases.
 This presentation deals with the major Pioneers of
Medical Microbiology field.

4.  Chemistry Professor, France.
 Father of Modern Microbiology.
 Disproved “Spontaneous Theory”.
 Proposed “Germ Theory of Disease”.
 Demonstrated the term “Virulence” (Ability of
microbes to cause disease).
 Introduced the term “Attenuation” (Reduction of
Virulence by prolonged cultivation).
 Discovered the Protozoa (Nosema bombycis)
causing Pebrine Disease in Silk worm.

5.  Developed
1) Chicken Cholera Vaccine,
2) Anthrax Vaccine
3) Rabies Vaccine.
 Used Cotton Plugging to prevent the culture from
Air borne microorganisms.

7.  Germany Doctor.
 Father of Medical Microbiology
 Father of Bacteriology
 Verified “Germ Theory of Disease”
 Discovered the relationship between Anthrax and
Bacillus anthracis.
 Announced that Mycobacterium tuberculosis can
cause Tuberculosis.

8.  Discovered that bacteria causing diseases like
Cholera (Vibrio cholerae) and Typhoid (Salmonella
typhi).
 Introduced the used of Petriplates and Agar for
culturing microbes.
 Introduced Steam sterilization by Autoclave.
 Introduced Bacterial Staining Techniques.
 Introduced the use of Laboratory animals for
experiments.

10.  British Surgeon.
 Father of Antiseptic Surgery and Modern Surgery.
 Discovered that Carbolic acid (Phenol) to disinfect
the surgical equipments and dressings leads the
reduction of post-operational deaths/infections

12.  Found the antimicrobial activity of Lysozymes
present in Saliva and Tears.
 Discovered the first Antibiotic Penicillin.

14.  American Microbiologist
 Identified the soil Actinobacteria Streptomyces
griseus and discovered the Second antibiotic
Streptomycin.
 Coined the term “Antibiotics”
 Discovered nearly 20 Antibiotics like Streptomycin,
Actinomycin and Neomycin.

16.  German Physician
 Coined the term “Chemotherapy”
 Introduced an Arsenic containing chemical called
Arsphenamine (Salvarsan) (also called Magic
Bullet) to treat Syphilis.