Alexander Fleming

by Ofir Ohana

Joined Jan 2021
Published Books 1

TOPIC RESPONSIBLE PAGES PERSON

Introduction 2-5 Every member

Biography & Timeline 6-16 Every member

Our Figure’s Influence On Us 17-18 Every member

Interview 19-24 Every member

Presentation 25 Every member

Reflection 26-28 Every member

Bibliography 29 Ido Bitran

Appendix 30-41 Ofir Ohana

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INTRODUCTION by Ofir Ohana

Throughout history, there have been people who have influenced the way we live. Alexander Fleming is one of these people.

I chose to prepare this research project on Alexander Fleming for several reasons. To begin with, I heard that the story about his discovery is interesting. Moreover, I enjoy learning about scientific discoveries and people.

There are a number of things that I already know about Alexander Fleming. Firstly, I know that he was a physician and microbiologist. In addition, I know that he discovered an antibiotic substance by accident.

I expect to learn new and interesting things about Alexander Fleming. First and foremost, I expect to find out about his personal life.

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Also, I want to learn how he discovered the

antibiotic substance. Finally, I would like to discover his awards.

Alexander Fleming has left his mark on the world. I am looking forward to finding out more about him.

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INTRODUCTION by Ido Bitran

Throughout history, there have been people who have influenced the way we live. Alexander Fleming is one of these people.

I chose to prepare this research project on Alexander Fleming for several reasons. To begin with, we live in a time when the “corona virus” has taken over our lives. Lots of people have been infected as a result of this virus and there is still no vaccine that can cure this virus so its intriguing to learn about people who invented a cure that changed humanity and helped it a lot. Moreover, one of my hobbies is learning about the human body and I always take care to strengthen my body and heal it and thanks to the antibiotics that Alexander invented it healed humans and strengthened them and it really impressed and interested me.

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There are a number of things that I already know about Alexander Fleming. Firstly, I know that he discovered an antibiotic substance by accident. Also, I know that he was a microbiologist.

I expect to learn new and interesting things about Alexander Fleming. First and foremost , I expect to learn in more depth how he discovered the antibiotic substance and among other things I expect to learn about his personal life where he learned where he got his knowledge and what his hobbies were. Finally, I would like to discover the awards he received in his life.

Alexander Fleming has left his mark on the world. I am looking forward to finding out more about him.

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Biography & Timeline

Alexander Fleming was born on 6 August 1881. He was a Scottish physician and microbiologist. His best known discoveries are the enzyme lysozyme (part of the innate immune system) In 1923 and the world’s first effective antibiotic substance benzylpenicillin (antibiotic used to treat a number of bacterial infections), for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 with Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain. He wrote many articles on bacteriology, immunology, and chemotherapy.

In 1999, he was named in Time magazine’s list of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century. In 2002, he was chosen in the BBC’s television poll for determining the 100 Greatest Britons, and in 2009, he was also voted third “greatest Scot” in an opinion poll conducted by STV, behind only Robert Burns and William

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Wallace.

Alexander Fleming was the third of four children of farmer Hugh Fleming and Grace Stirling Morton. Hugh Fleming had four surviving children from his first marriage. He was 59 at the time of his second marriage to Grace, and died when Alexander was seven.

Fleming went to Loudoun Moor School and Darvel School. After working in a shipping office for four years, the twenty years old Alexander Fleming inherited some money from his uncle, John Fleming. His elder brother, Tom, was already a physician and suggested to him that he should follow the same career, and so in 1903, the younger Alexander enrolled at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in Paddington, he qualified with an MBBS degree from the school with distinction in 1906.

Fleming was a member of the rifle club at the medical school. The

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captain of the club offered him to join the research department at St Mary’s, where he became assistant bacteriologist to Sir Almroth Wright, a pioneer in vaccine therapy and immunology. In 1908, he received a BSc degree with Gold Medal in Bacteriology and became a lecturer at St Mary’s until 1914. Fleming served throughout World War I in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He and many of his colleagues worked in battlefield hospitals at the Western Front in France. In 1918 he returned to St Mary’s Hospital, where he was elected Professor of Bacteriology of the University of London in 1928. In 1951 he was elected the Rector of the University of Edinburgh for a term of three years.

By 1927, Fleming had been investigating the properties of staphylococci. He was already well known from his earlier work and had developed a reputation as a brilliant researcher. In 1928, he studied the variation of Staphylococcus

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aureus grown under natural conditions, after the work of Joseph Warwick Bigger, who discovered that the bacteria could grow into a variety of types (strains). On 3 September 1928, Fleming returned to his laboratory having spent a holiday with his family at Suffolk. Before leaving for his holiday, he inoculated staphylococci on culture plates and left them on a bench in a corner of his laboratory. On his return, Fleming noticed that one culture was contaminated with a fungus, and that the colonies of staphylococci immediately surrounding the fungus had been destroyed, whereas other staphylococci colonies farther away were normal, famously remarking “That’s funny”. Fleming showed the contaminated culture to his former assistant Merlin Pryce, who reminded him, “That’s how you discovered lysozyme.” He identified the mould as being from the genus Penicillium. He suspected it to be P. chrysogenum, but a colleague Charles J.

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La Touche identified it as P. rubrum. (It was later corrected as P. notatum and then officially accepted as P. chrysogenum, but finally in 2011, it was resolved as P. rubens.)The laboratory in which Fleming discovered and tested penicillin is preserved as the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum in St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.

Fleming grew the mould in a pure culture and found that the culture broth contained the antibacterial substance. He investigated its positive anti-bacterial effect on many organisms, and noticed that it affected bacteria such as staphylococci and many other Gram-positive pathogens that cause scarlet fever, pneumonia, meningitis and diphtheria, but not typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever, which are caused by Gram-negative bacteria, for which he was seeking a cure at the time. It also affected Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which causes gonorrhoea,

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although this bacterium is Gram-negative. After some months of calling it “mould juice” or “the inhibitor”, he named the substance it released penicillin on 7 March 1929.

Fleming published his discovery in 1929, in the British Journal of Experimental Pathology, but little attention was paid to his article. Fleming continued his investigations, but found that cultivating Penicillium was quite difficult, and that after having grown the mould, it was even more difficult to isolate the antibiotic agent. Fleming’s impression was that because of the problem of producing it in quantity, and because its action appeared to be rather slow, penicillin would not be important in treating infection.

Fleming also became convinced that penicillin would not last long enough in the human body (in vivo) to kill bacteria effectively. Many clinical tests were inconclusive, probably because it had

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been used as a surface antiseptic. In the 1930s, Fleming’s trials occasionally showed more promise, but Fleming largely abandoned penicillin work, leaving Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford to take up research to mass-produce it, with funds from the U.S. and British governments. They started mass production after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. By D-Day in 1944, enough penicillin had been produced to treat all the wounded in the Allied forces.

Fleming’s discovery of penicillin changed the world of modern medicine by introducing the age of useful antibiotics, penicillin has saved, and is still saving, millions of people around the world.

The laboratory at St Mary’s Hospital where Fleming discovered penicillin is home to the Fleming Museum, a popular London attraction. His alma mater, St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, merged with Imperial College London in 1988.

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The Sir Alexander Fleming Building on the South Kensington campus was opened in 1998, where his son Robert and his great granddaughter Claire were presented to the Queen; it is now one of the main preclinical teaching sites of the Imperial College School of Medicine.

His other alma mater, the Royal Polytechnic Institution (now the University of Westminster) has named one of its student halls of residence Alexander Fleming House, which is near to Old Street.

Fleming, Florey and Chain jointly received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945. According to the rules of the Nobel committee a maximum of three people may share the prize. Fleming’s Nobel Prize medal was acquired by the National Museums of Scotland in 1989 and is on display after the museum reopened in 2011.

Fleming was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1943.

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Fleming was awarded the Hunterian Professorship by the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Fleming was appointed Sir by King George VI in 1944.

Fleming was knighted, as a Knight Bachelor, by king George VI in 1944.

Fleming was awarded the Medal for Merit by the President of the United States.

Fleming was made a Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour by the French Republic.

The importance of his work was recognized by the placement of an International Historic Chemical Landmark plaque at the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum in London on 19 November 1999.

When 2000 was approaching, at least three large Swedish magazines ranked penicillin as the most important discovery of

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the millennium.

In 2002, Fleming was named in the BBC’s list of the 100 Greatest Britons following a nationwide vote.

A statue of Alexander Fleming stands outside the main bullring in Madrid, Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas.

On 11 March 1955, Fleming died at his home in London of a heart attack. His ashes are buried in St Paul’s Cathedral.

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Alexander Fleming by Ofir Ohana - Ourboox.com

Our Figure’s Influence On Us

The development of antibiotics by Alexander Fleming is something that inspires us. The idea of changing humanity in medicine and saving a large number of people is something unconventional that can bring inspiration and motivation to any human being.

“One sometimes finds, what one is not looking for. When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer. But I suppose that was exactly what I did” – Alexander Fleming.

This statement by Alexander Fleming has inspired us and we think that saying it can teach us a lot about life. This statement can teach us that life is unpredictable and that you can never

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know what the future holds. It shows us that things happen when we don’t expect or intend for them to happen. Moreover, Fleming’s message in his words is that there is a lesson to be learnt from “making mistakes”, because they may lead to the discovery of something significant. The ability to think of something that can help the world is something amazing and it has inspired and motivated us. Always strive high in life, and don’t expect too much because life is one big and unexpected surprise.

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Interview

We chose to interview Dr. Noam Levi. He is a chemist, and currently works at the IIBR (Institute for Biological Research).

There are several reasons why we chose to interview this person. First of all, He has a doctorate in chemistry and has an extensive knowledge in medicine, mainly in generic drugs. Moreover, He knows a lot about research, scientists and scientific discoveries.

Q: How did Alexander Flaming get to the point in which he changed humanity?

A: Everything started when Fleming did an experiment, grew colonies of bacteria on a petri dish. He realized that something happened, and mold developed in the petri dish. Could be that forgot to cover well the petri dish. He noticed that there were areas around

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the mold where colonies did not grow. He did not throw away the experiment and tried to understand how it is that there were no bacteria growth. That is how he discovered the penicillin. His ingenious was that he noticed a scenario he did not anticipated. We can assume that many scientists before had stable upon such a result and ignored or dismissed it. His observations had changed the world.

Q: Did he have another discovery besides penicillin?

A: Yes, he discovered the lysozyme, kind of organelle found in cells and its function is to break down all kinds of biological factors. It is responsible for breaking down the proteins of pests that enter the skin. Fleming did an experiment, in which he grew colonies of bacteria on a petri dish, like he did with the penicillin

years later, but then he took nasal mucus and smeared it on the petri dish. He found that it caused the bacteria to die and delay

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their growth.

He followed his well-known technique, noticed the results on the bacteria, and accordingly he implemented this technique when he discovered penicillin.

Q: Does penicillin have side effects?

A: Well, penicillin does have a number Side Effects. Common side effects of antibiotics include upset stomach, diarrhea and vaginal yeast (fungal) infections. Some of the side effects are more severe and may disrupt – for the type of antibiotic – the function of the kidneys, liver, bone marrow or other organs. Some people who receive antibiotics develop inflammation of the colon. Antibiotics may also cause allergic reactions. Mild allergic reactions include an itchy rash or mild difficulty breathing. Severe allergic reactions can be life-threatening and usually include swelling of the throat, inability to breathe and low blood pressure.

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Q: What are the uses of penicillin? Are there any types of penicillin?

A: Well, these are very good and interesting questions. Penicillin exists in two forms: penicillin G which is almost always given by injection, and penicillin V which is well absorbed when taken orally and is present in tablets and syrup. Penicillin is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections that are sensitive to the drug and include certain types of infections in the tonsils, bronchi, pharynx and lungs. The drug is effective in treating gum infection. The use of penicillin is also commonly used to treat various infections caused by skin infection. Penicillin G is injected into sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, as well as to treat heart inflammation. Penicillin V is given to prevent the recurrence of rheumatic fever and to prevent inflammation of the heart, such as before treatment by a dentist.

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Q: What impact had the discovery of penicillin to the world?

A: Penicillin has saved millions of lives by stopping the growth of the bacteria that are responsible for poisoning the blood and causing many other once fatal diseases.

Q: Did he get rich from the discovery?

A: Surprisingly, Alexander did not ask anything for his discoveries. He wanted his discoveries to be for the benefit of humanity. It shows a lot about the person. It shows that money did not interest him, and he acted admirably to help and save others.

Q: Did the scientific community accept his discovery?

A: Up until 1936, many people underestimated his discovery, and his discovery (penicillin) was not accepted by most of the scientific community. His colleagues did not even believe him in his lectures.

Fleming suggested that the use of penicillin could be used as a

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medicine to treat infections and kill bacteria. He fought very hard to prove his claim, and it took him many years to make his claim come true. Along the way a lot of people Underestimated him, dismissed at his discovery, and he received disrespect from scientists for his discovery.

Q: Did he collaborate with other scientists?

A: I guess he did collaborate with other scientists. Very few scientists do not collaborate. Although he found his discoveries alone, his Nobel Prize on the discovery of penicillin was shared

with 2 other scientists. The field was much researched, and it can be assumed that there was plenty of collaborations in this field. I need to look into his publications in this area in order to give you a more definite answer.

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Presentation

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Reflection

We found the preparation of this project worthwhile for several reasons. First, doing the project on Alexander Fleming was very enriching. We think it is very important to learn about one of the most renown and useful medicines in history and how it was discovered. In addition, we learned a lot about Alexander Fleming and his contribution to society by discovering penicillin and lysosome and about medicine in general.

We learnt many things while working on the project. First, we learned a lot about Alexander Fleming’s personal life. We learned key words in scientific vernacular, learned a lot about his discoveries (what he discovered, how he discovered, how it affected humanity) and we gained much knowledge in chemistry and in general.

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We are very happy that we chose to do the project on Alexander Fleming. He was a very important and interesting person, and we really enjoyed hearing about his life and his discoveries that have changed the course of humanity.

We enjoyed working together in a group for a number of reasons. First, in our opinion it is more fun to work in groups and study together than to study alone. Second, when we worked in a group, we were able to work better, quickly and efficiently. We gave each other confidence in presenting the project, and constantly motivated each other to do the project the best way we can. Throughout the work we enjoyed learning and doing new things, and, as best friends, it strengthened the friendship between us.

On the one hand, there were things we enjoyed while preparing this project. We enjoyed working as team together, enjoyed

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enriching our knowledge in several areas (in English language, chemistry, our general knowledge), and were very interested to learn the story of Alexander Fleming’s discovery and learn more about “Penicillin” (one of the most useful medicine in the world).

On the other hand, there were things we enjoyed less while working on the project. We enjoyed working on the entire project, but there were less interesting and fun sections that we did in a more technical way, like biography. Moreover, we presented our presentation via zoom meeting, because of the corona situation. We would have preferred to present in class, because we think presenting in front of audience in real life is more challenging and fun than presenting in front of a computer.

In conclusion, we are grateful that we had the opportunity to prepare this project. It enriched our knowledge about medicine and helped us develop so many skills.

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Bibliography

Dr. Noam Levi (He is a chemist, and currently works at the IIBR (Institute for Biological Research)).
Wikipedia- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Fleming