Fleming, Sir Alexander
Fleming, Sir Alexander (1881–1955) Scottish bacteriologist, discoverer of penicillin. In 1922, Fleming discovered lysozyme, a natural antibacterial substance found in saliva and tears. During research on staphylococci in 1928, Fleming noticed that a mould, identified as Penicillium notatum, liberated a substance that inhibited the growth of some bacteria. He named it penicillin; it was the first antibiotic. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain refined the drug's production and it was first produced commercially in 1941. In 1945, Fleming, Florey and Chain shared the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
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Fleming, Sir Alexander
