Penicillin Research Paper

Penicillin: discovered by Alexander Fleming, helps treat a wide spectrum of infections that could potentially harm you. When penicillin was discovered, doctors finally had something that would completely cure their patients. Upon examining some colonies of Staphylococcus Aureus, Alexander Fleming noticed that a mold called Penicillium Notatum had grown in his petri dishes while he was on vacation. When Fleming put the dishes under the microscope, he found that the mold had stopped the growth of the Staphylococci. Fleming took a while longer to grow more of the mold to prove his findings he found that the mold inhabited the growth of bacteria, and that it could be used to fight infectious diseases. Alexander Fleming did not, however have the

lab tools, or a good enough background on chemistry to purify the mold. That job was given to a man named Dr. Howard Florey. Dr. Florey stumbled upon this task while looking through some old papers, finding Flemings in the mix. Florey proceeded to work on the project, and, with the help of another assistant, created a set of rough penicillin mold culture fluid extracts. One day Florey heard about a man who cut his cheek and was infected by streptococci and staphylococcus and needed treatment. The man was treated with some sulfa drugs, but his condition worsened. Florey decided to try and treat the man with the purified penicillin, and the man agreed. After 5 days on the penicillin treatment, the man’s condition began to become better, but unfortunately, Florey did not have enough of the purified penicillin to continue the man’s treatment, and the man passed away from his condition coming back.