ALEXANDER FLEMING

Alexander Fleming (August 6, 1881 - March 11, 1955) was a Scottish scientist famous for discovering antimicrobial enzyme called lysozyme and antibiotic penicillin obtained from the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum.

Fleming was born in Ayrshire, Scotland and died in London, England, at age 74. He worked as a medical microbiologist at St. Mary's Hospital in London until the beginning of the First World War. In this hospital he worked at the Department of inoculations dedicated to improving and producing vaccines and serums. Almorth Edward Wright, secretary of the Department, was of interest to Fleming for new treatments for infections.

During the war was a military doctor in the fronts in France and was impressed by the high mortality caused by shrapnel wounds infected (eg gas gangrene) in hospitals. After the war, he returned to St. Mary Hospital where he sought a new antiseptic strongly avoided the harsh agony caused by infected wounds.