Louis Pasteur in 1859 used swan-necked flasks to disprove the theory of spontaneous generation by showing that liquids in the flasks did not grow microbes due to being protected from dust and microbes in the air. Edward Jenner developed the first vaccine for smallpox in the late 1700s by inoculating people with material from cowpox lesions. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 after observing a mold that produced a chemical clearing surrounding bacteria on a culture plate.

1. Pharmaceutical Microbiology
History
Md. Saiful Islam
BPharm, MPharm (PCP)
North South University
Fb Group: Pharmacy Universe

2. Louis Pasteur 1859 –
• used swan-necked flask
• flask allowed in air, but
trapped dust (and
microbes)
• boiled infusion
• showed that NO growth
occurred, even after many
days
(French chemist) entered a contest
sponsored by French Academy of Sciences
to prove or disprove Spontaneous
generation.

3. Microbiology – Vaccine
Edward Jenner is credited with first vaccine - in
epidemics of smallpox during the late 1700’s he
observed that milk maids didn’t get the disease, cattle
had a similar disease - cowpox, milk maids had cow
pox lesions, but not small pox, he purposefully took
scrapings from cowpox blister and scraped a 8 year
old volunteer. With the material - child got mild illness
but not small pox.
Vaccination comes from Latin word “vacca” meaning
cow. Jenner laid the foundation for Pasteur’s later
work with other vaccinations.

4. Jenner and vaccination

5. Microbiology – TMV
Iwanowski 1892 - Discovered that plant disease can be
caused by small organisms that were so small they
passed through filters , Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was
later identified as the cause
That’s the beginning of virology .

6. Microbiology – Aseptic Technique
Joseph Lister – 1860’s, English surgeon that applied
ideas of the germ theory to surgery, remembered the
work of Semmelweis in Hungary in the 1840’s, if a Dr.
would wash their hands childbed fever was prevented.
He knew that phenol would kill bacteria; put 2 and 2
together and treated wounds with phenol - and no
infection (phenol is the basic agent of today’s – Lysol)
1. First antiseptic use in surgery, chemicals used as
agents on tissue before surgery
2. Also proved that microbes cause surgical infections

7. Semmelweis

8. Lister: Antisepsis in surgery

9. Microbiology – Penicillin
Alexander Fleming - Scottish physician and bacteriologist
- 1928
Observed mold growing on a bacteria culture, there was
a ring of clearing around the mold where the bacteria
didn’t grow, the mold was later found to be a Penicillium
species and the naturally secreted chemical was called
penicillin, an antibiotic.
Fleming’s work - shelved until early WWII, sulfas were
failing, needed penicillin to cure battle field
wounds.
Now have thousands of antibiotics and synthetics (and a
significant problem – resistance)

10. Microbiology – Polio vaccine
Salk - Polio vaccine, 1950’s polio was a scary
epidemic, Salk developed a vaccine by
treating the virus with formalin (IPV) inactivated
polio virus
Sabin 1963 live Polio virus vaccine, attenuated –
altered virus, OPV-oral polio vaccine
The work done on polio revolutionized the science
of virology and we are seeing the results today in
advances with Hepatitis and HIV viral infections –
tissue culture and other techniques.

11. Salk; IPV

12. Sabin, OPV

13. Microbiology
Sub groups of Microbes we will study:
Bacteria
Archaea
Fungi
Protozoans
Algae
Viruses
Multicellular animal parasites – Helminths

14. Domains
• 3 domains
1. Archaea : ancient “bacteria”, unicellular like bacteria,
also simple cell structure (prokaryote – no nucleus)
but have distinct metabolism (chemistry) allowing
them to exist in “extreme” environments
2. Bacteria : unicellular, prokaryote, found everywhere
3. Eukarya : unicellular to multicellular, complex and
organized cells with nuclei and organelles
(mitochondria)

15. Domain Archaea
• Archaea are single-
celled organisms that
lack a membrane-
bound nucleus. -
Prokaryote
• Archaea can be found in
environments that are
too hostile for other life
forms.

16. Domain Bacteria
• Bacteria are single-
celled organisms that
lack a membrane-
bound nucleus.
(Prokaryote also)
• Bacteria are found
almost everywhere on
the planet Earth.

17. Domain Eukarya
• The cells of all
eukaryotes have a
membrane-bound
nucleus.
• Members of the
Domain Eukarya are
further categorized
into one of four
Kingdoms.