Louis Pasteur

Who is Louis Pasteur?

Louis Pasteur was born in Dole in eastern France and became one of the founders of modern microbiology. Trained as a chemist, he made fundamental discoveries about molecular asymmetry before turning to the study of fermentation and disease. He demonstrated that microorganisms cause fermentation and spoilage, disproving the theory of spontaneous generation, and developed pasteurisation, the gentle heating process that bears his name and preserves food and drink. Pasteur's germ theory of disease transformed medicine and surgery. He developed vaccines against fowl cholera, anthrax and, most famously, rabies, successfully treating a boy bitten by a rabid dog in 1885. In 1888 the Pasteur Institute was founded in Paris to continue research into infectious diseases, and it remains a leading scientific institution today. His work saved countless lives and laid the groundwork for immunology and public health.

Sources: Patrice Debré, 'Louis Pasteur' (1998) · Gerald L. Geison, 'The Private Science of Louis Pasteur' (1995)