Final answer:
Microbial cultivation techniques were developed in the 19th century by scientists such as Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur, and they involve the use of pure cultures and specific growth media. Koch's contributions included Koch's postulates for pathogen identification and the use of the Petri dish. Traditional practices of microbial fermentation for medicines and food date back even further, with evidence from ancient Nubia.
Step-by-step explanation:
Microbial cultivation techniques were developed during the "Golden Age" of microbiology, primarily in the 19th century, by such notable figures as Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur. Robert Koch is credited with pioneering methods for obtaining pure cultures of microbes, greatly influencing the field of microbiology. These techniques include the use of specific growth media, staining, and methods for isolating bacteria from natural sources. Koch's work with Mycobacterium tuberculosis led to the formulation of Koch's postulates, a cornerstone in medical microbiology for identifying pathogens. Julius Petri, an assistant of Koch, invented the Petri dish, which remains an essential tool in microbiology labs worldwide.
Fermentation processes have been harnessed since ancient times, but systematic microbial fermentation techniques for the production of food, pharmaceuticals, and alcohol were refined in parallel with the development of culturing methods. The use of fermented products, such as the beer known to have been produced in Nubia, containing antimicrobial agents like tetracycline, exemplifies early understanding of microbial properties in traditional medicine.
While these foundational methods continue to be instrumental, modern microbiology also involves novel approaches such as combinatorial chemistry and the exploration of diverse environmental niches like marine environments to discover new antimicrobial compounds.