Question

In the petri dishes of st. mary's hospital in london, fleming observed the inhibitory effects of the mold penicillium notatum on the growth of staphylococcus bacteria, paving the way for the era of antibiotics

What bacteria was being cultured in the St Mary's lab that led to the discovery of penicillin?

Answer 1

The discovery of penicillin occurred when Alexander Fleming observed that a mold, known as Penicillium notatum, inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus bacteria in his lab at St Mary's Hospital, leading to the identification of the first natural antibiotic.

Step-by-step explanation:

The bacteria that were being cultured in the St Mary's Hospital lab which led to the discovery of penicillin was Staphylococcus. In 1928, Alexander Fleming noticed a mold, later identified as Penicillium notatum, had contaminated one of his petri dishes and its presence inhibited the growth of the Staphylococcus bacteria.

This observation led to the identification of penicillin, the first natural antibiotic, and revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections. Ernst Chain and Howard Florey later took crucial steps to isolate and mass-produce penicillin, leading to its widespread use in treating bacterial infections. This momentous discovery was a cornerstone in the development of antibiotics and has had an immeasurable impact on modern medicine.

Fleming, along with Florey and Chain, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 due to their significant contributions that paved the way for the antibiotic era.