Alexander Fleming was a Scottish microbiologist who worked at St. Mary's Hospital in London. During his work there researching vaccines and treatments for infections, he accidentally discovered that mold in one of his culture dishes had lysed and killed some of the surrounding bacteria. Upon further investigation, he discovered the mold was Penicillium notatum and was producing penicillin, which had antibacterial effects. This accidental finding of penicillin's ability to kill pathogenic bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus was a seminal discovery, though it was initially underestimated. Fleming went on to publish his discovery of penicillin's antibacterial properties in 1929.