Penicillin discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928

Sir Alexander Fleming (6 August 1881 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish physician and microbiologist. He shared the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases. This was the first antibiotic substance discovered. In 1928, he discovered benzylpenicillin, later called penicillin G, from the mould Penicillium rubens. This discovery has been described as the single greatest victory ever achieved over disease.

He also discovered the enzyme lysozyme from his nasal discharge in 1922. He named a bacterium Micrococcus lysodeikticus, later renamed Micrococcus luteus. Fleming was knighted for his scientific achievements in 1944.

In 1999, Time magazine included him in its list of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century. In 2002, the BBC named him in its poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, and in 2009 he was voted the third greatest Scot in a poll by STV, behind Robert Burns and William Wallace.