Top 10 Scientists in history of microbiology and their discoveries

Introduction:

The field of microbiology has been dramatically shaped by numerous scientists whose discoveries have paved the way for advances in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. In this article we study about top 10 scientists in history of microbiology and their discoveries. Here’s a brief overview of ten of the most influential scientists in the history of microbiology and their pivotal discoveries:

Here, Top 10 Scientists in history of microbiology and their discoveries:

1. Robert Hooke (1635-1703)

Robert Hooke (1635-1703) is among the top 10 scientists in history of microbiology and their discoveries.

In the 1660’s modified the basic design of the microscope and developed a compound microscope that was six inches long and had two convex lenses which very much resembles the design of the modern microscope.
He observed specimens of various things under the microscope such as the leaves, thin specimens of cork, hair of peacock, seaweed, wood, sponges, etc.
He described the repetitive rectangular box-like structures as “cell”
In 1665 he published his observations in his Micrographia
He described the forms of fungi such as bluish mold on a piece of leather and one of the leeches in vinegar
The descriptions by Hooke can broadly classify the white mold as Mucor.

2. Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723)

He was a self-made scientist and explores in Delft, Holland.
He was not the first person to observe microscopic forms but probably the first one to report it.
Antony Van Leeuwenhoek is known as the Father of Microbiology
He made 419 lenses and more than 250 microscopes. The highest magnification at which he observed was 200-300 times.
He observed a variety of things like sperms of animals, blood, cork, leaves, scrapings from his teeth, and many more.
In a series of his letters written to the British Royal Society he carefully recorded his observations and descriptions. In one of his letters, he described the tiny creatures as ‘animalcules’.
He also described the shapes of bacteria in these letters. In 1683 he published a sketch of the principle shape of bacteria, rods, cocci, and spiral-shaped.

3. Francesco Redi (1626-1697)

He was an Italian physician and opposed the theory of abiogenesis.
He performed a 3 jar experiment to disprove abiogenesis.
He placed pieces of rotten meat in 3 jars. He covered one jar with parchment paper, the other with fine mesh or gauze, and the third jar was left open.
The jar left uncovered showed maggots and attracted flies, whereas the jars covered did not show maggots or flies in the jar but eggs were laid on the parchment paper and the gauze.
Experiment by Redi could not completely prove that microbial life does not originate spontaneously but it proved that entry of flies and eggs in the jars can lead to the formation of life and life cannot be created spontaneously.

4. H. Schroder and Von Dusch

In 1854 these two scientists performed similar experiments in which air was filtered through cotton wool.
This method prevented microbial growth in boiled infusions. This concept is used even today in the labs.
The non-absorbent cotton is used as a stopper for test tubes so that air entering will be sterile.

5. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

To disprove the theory of spontaneous generation Louis Pasteur in 1862 designed a special flask with a long neck called ‘Swan necked Flask’ or ‘S-shaped flask.
He placed the nutrient medium and boiled it to ensure sterilization. Though the flask was kept open no growth was seen in the medium due to the long neck.
Later when the neck of the flask was cut open, the nutrient broth was exposed to air soon microbial growth was seen in the nutrient medium.
He was also the first person to use gun cotton for filtration.
In 1877 Louis Pasteur discovered the anaerobic bacteria during his study on butyric acid fermentation.
He also solved the problem of the souring of wine due to the presence of bacteria in France. He proposed boiling the fruit juice to kill contaminants. This process is known as ‘Pasteurisation’.
He discovered microorganisms called ‘Yeast’ which are responsible for the conversion of sugar into alcohol.
He discovered the principle of active immunization in 1880.
He isolated the causative agent of chicken chlorella (Pasturela spp) and after his experiments, for several weeks he concluded that the older cultures lose their ability to cause disease which is known as pathogenicity or virulence, but it stimulates the host to produce certain substances which may protect the host against subsequent exposure to the pathogen.
Pasteur also prepared an attenuated rabies vaccine and tried it on a young boy which protected him from rabies.

6. Ferdinand Cohn (1828-1898)

He confirmed the presence of endospores in bacteria.
He also discovered bacterial flagella and some bacterial pigments.

7. Robert Koch (1843-1910)

A German bacteriologist is known for the isolation of microorganisms causing Anthrax and Tuberculosis.
He also developed solid media for culturing bacteria and various techniques to isolate bacteria.
He developed the streak plate technique to isolate bacteria.
The postulates given by Koch proved as guidelines to identify the causative agent of an infectious disease.

8. Joseph Lister (1827-1912)

He is known as the Father of Antisepsis developed antiseptic surgical procedures.
He used carbolic acid for antiseptic surgical procedures.
This reduced the rate of wound infections.
He was the first person to isolate bacteria (Bacillus lactis) in pure form in a liquid culture form.

9. Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915)

He discovered a synthetic drug, arsenic chemotherapeutic derivative ‘Salvarsan’ known as ‘Magic bullet’.
The drug was effective against Syphilis.

10. Alexander Fleming (1881-1955)

In 1928 discovered the antibiotic Penicillin which has been extensively used since then.
He discovered that this was effective against several Gram-positive bacteria which caused diseases like gonorrhea, scarlet fever, and many more.

Other famous scientist’s in microbiology:

Kary Mullis (1944-2019)

He discovered a method to amplify the DNA and develop multiple copies by using the process of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction).
This process is widely used and can be performed over a short period.

Zacharias Janssen (1570-1638)

Dutch spectacle maker
He invented compounding of lenses
He used two lenses fitted in a single tube to observe an enlarged image of microscopic forms.

T. Schwann

He was also an opponent of abiogenesis.
He passed the air into his infusion broth through red hot tubes and proved that growth was absent in the broth.

References: https://microbenotes.com

These scientists not only discovered fundamental concepts but also opened new avenues for research and treatment, affecting many aspects of human life and health. Their work continues to inspire and guide current and future generations of microbiologists.