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The Discovery and Development of Penicillin:

1 Fleming discovered mould killed germs. Writes articles but publishes them in book with an obscure name.

2 Chain and Florey begin research in Oxford after reading an article by Fleming. They experiment with mice.

3 Penicillin is first tested on a human being in Oxford.

4 U.S. and Britain fund production of penicillin.

5 Enough penicillin is produced to treat all the allied forces wounded in the D-Day invasion of Europe.

The discovery of penicillin is a great example of a chance finding helping science. One day in 1928 Fleming came to clean up some old culture dishes he had been growing bacteria for his experiments on. By chance, a fungal spore had landed and grown on one of the dishes. He noticed that colonies of bacteria around the mould had stopped growing. The fungus was identified and the substance given the name penicillin. It produced a substance that killed bacteria. Fleming was unable to take his work further. The industrial production of penicillin still needed work. How Was Penicillin Developed? In the 1930s two Oxford scientists, Florey and Chain, became interested in Fleming’s 1929 paper. In 1939 they gathered a skilled research team and three days after the outbreak of the Second World War Florey asked the British Government to fund the team’s research into penicillin. British chemical firms were too busy making explosives to start mass production – so Florey went to US. America helped to mass produce penicillin, the casualties of the Second World War added to the urgency. By 1944 mass production was sufficient for the needs of the military medics. Fleming, Florey and Chain were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945. Factors Leading to the Development of Penicillin Government – British government funded Florey’s research, U.S. government funded mass production. Technology – microscopes and bacteria growing mediums. Scientific experiment – testing on mice. Individuals – Florey and Chain were skilled scientists supported by a skilled team of researchers. War – the growing casualties of World War Two added to the urgency to mass produce penicillin. Chance – Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by chance in 1928.