How did Alexander Fleming discover penicillin?
Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin came about by accident. Fleming was an untidy worker, and during the summer of 1828 he went away for a holiday, but left a clutter of plates growing various bacteria lying about his desk. When he returned, whilst working on an influenza virus he noticed that mould had developed accidentally on a staphylococcus culture plate, and that the mould had created a bacteria-free circle around itself. Further experimentation proved that even a weaker-strength mould culture prevented growth of staphylococci. Thus, Fleming initiated the development and practice of antibiotic therapy for infectious diseases.
