A Mold that saved the world

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Some discoveries are serendipitous. Born in 1881, medicine was not an initial choice for Alexander Flemming. He initially studied in a polytechnic and later worked in a shipping office for four years, before enrolling in St Mary’s medical school. In 1906, he had completed MBBS, and was contemplating training in surgery. His colleagues in the local rifle-club did not want to loose him. They persuaded him to instead opt for a research position in bacteriology in the same school. In 1914, he enrolled in the British Army as a medic, where he served for next three years. He joined back at the department of bacteriology at St Mary’s in 1918, where he was to make some important discoveries.

Two Chance discoveries

In 1921-22 he made a chance discovery that human tears and nasal mucus do not allow bacteria to grow. He also found that such naturally acting bacteria-killing substances also occur in semen, ova, egg, sputum and even cartilage. He called this substance “lysozyme”. While reported in medical journals, this discovery went quite unnoticed. Six years later, in 1928 he made another chance discovery, that had a very different fate.

Bacteriologists grow bacteria in petri-dishes or small glass plates. On 28th September 1928, Alexander was growing bacteria in some such plates. He inadvertently left a plate near his window. When he returned back to his lab, after a holiday – he found a green substance growing on these plates. This was a mold (fungus) named Penicillium. No bacteria could grow in its vicinity. Alexander then grew this mold, and could extract a substance from it. This substance did not allow a variety of bacteria to grow. He named the substance from this mold as Penicillin – our first antibiotic.

Penicillin resurrected

Alexander Flemming announced his discovery in 1929, in a medical conference, as well as in a medical journal. No one paid any heed. By 1936, Alexander had used Penicillin to treat nose, skin and eye infections. He also proposed Penicillin as a medicine for a wider human use. Yet, there were no takers. Meanwhile, Europe had plunged in the Second World War. The wonder-drug was pushed into an oblivion.

In 1940s, Ernst Boris Chain and Edward Abraham two biochemists who were working at Oxford, got interested in Penicillin. They managed to extract, purify, characterise and develop a system to mass produce Penicillin. In 1943, Alexander Flemming used purified Penicillin to successfully treat a patient with meningitis. The three researchers could now convince British Military to take over mass production.

Howard Florey, Ernst Chain and their colleagues at Oxford turned penicillin from a laboratory curiosity into a life-saving drug. Later researchers in United States could identify better methods to grow and extract Penicillin. By 1943, pharmaceutical companies on both sides of Atlantic were empanelled to mass-produce the this medicine. This effort was poised to save the brave solders, and win the war. Till 1945, use of this drug was restricted to a select war-related infections. As allies emerged victorious in the world war, production of Penicillin was sufficient enough for human use.

Alexander Flemming gets 1945 Medicine Nobel

Alexender Flemming, Howard Florey and Ernst Chain jointly earned 1945 Nobel Prize for their efforts. This truly deserved discovery of a mold that has saved human lives, is a landmark event for the entire millennium. Flemming, who lived on till 1955, was a witness to its remarkable impact on human survival and recovery from infections.

More Moulds and Yeasts save more human lives

Discovery of Penicillin was just a beginning, in the coming years, many more antibiotics, and anti-cancer drugs were identified from different moulds, yeast and algae. These microscopic organisms, could fight against a diverse array of bacteria. Some of the notable substances include Streptomycin (used to treat tuberculosis), Tetrocycline (another antibiotic), Cyclosporin (used to prevent transplant rejection), Sirolimus (used in stents and as an immunomodulator), Statins (that reduce lipids), and Paclitaxel (used to treat cancer).

Molds have rescued humans from bacteria, cancer, and overactive immune system. We have developed many antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer drugs from them.

We indeed owe these small flat-growing creatures, a big standing ovation.