Antibiotics

Question 1

magic bullets

Answer 1

Paul Ehrlich. member of Robert Koch’s team takes inspiration from Koch discovery that some chemicals can kill specific microbes while not affecting others. starts testing for magic bullets in 1905 after 606 tries finds Salvarsan 606 in 1909.
Leads to Gerhard Domagk’s second magic bullet Prontosil in 1935 killing Streptococcus, and can cure Puerperal fever

Question 2

Penicillin

Answer 2

Discovered by Alexander Fleming 1922 much by accident when mould grew in a petridish which killed bacteria. World’s first antibiotic. but not taken seriously because was very hard to mass produce. Was finally able to be mass produced when America joined WW2 where lots of funding was poured into penicillin to make machinery to mass produce penicillin. enough penicillin for all allied soldiers during D-Day landings