Alexander Fleming

Lore & Background

Alexander Fleming was born on 6 August 1881 at Lochfield farm near Darvel, Ayrshire, Scotland, the third of four children of farmer Hugh Fleming and Grace Stirling Morton. After attending local schools and earning a scholarship to Kilmarnock Academy, he moved to London, studied at the Royal Polytechnic Institution, and later enrolled at St Mary's Hospital Medical School in 1901. He qualified with an MBBS degree in 1906 and became assistant bacteriologist to Sir Almroth Wright. During World War I, he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and observed that antiseptics often worsened infected wounds, a finding he published in The Lancet in 1917.

In 1922, Fleming discovered the enzyme lysozyme from his own nasal mucus, noting its ability to dissolve certain bacteria. He identified the bacterium Micrococcus lysodeikticus (later Micrococcus luteus) in the process. Despite this discovery, lysozyme had limited therapeutic use. His most famous discovery came in 1928, when he observed that the mould Penicillium rubens produced a substance that killed bacteria, later named benzylpenicillin (penicillin G). This was the first antibiotic substance discovered. He shared the 1945 Nobel Prize with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain for this work.

Fleming was knighted in 1944. He was named in Time magazine's 1999 list of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century, included in the BBC's 2002 poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, and voted third 'greatest Scot' in a 2009 STV poll.

Reader's Guide

Alexander Fleming's significance lies in his discovery of penicillin, the first antibiotic, which transformed medicine by providing an effective treatment for bacterial infections. His earlier work on lysozyme, though less impactful therapeutically, contributed to understanding natural immunity. Fleming's observation that antiseptics could harm patients during World War I challenged medical practices of the time. His discoveries were often serendipitous, stemming from his untidy laboratory habits and careful observation of unusual bacterial growth. The development of penicillin into a practical drug by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, with whom he shared the Nobel Prize, enabled mass production and saved countless lives. Fleming's legacy endures as a symbol of scientific curiosity and the profound impact of basic research. His recognition in popular culture, including Time magazine's list of important 20th-century figures, underscores his lasting influence.

Did You Know?

• Fleming discovered lysozyme from his own nasal mucus in 1922.
• He served as a private in the London Scottish Regiment of the Volunteer Force from 1900 to 1914.
• Fleming was knighted in 1944 for his scientific achievements.
• He was voted third 'greatest Scot' in a 2009 STV opinion poll, behind Robert Burns and William Wallace.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"How fortunate we didn't have these animal tests in the 1940s, for penicillin would probably not have been granted a licence, and possibly the whole field of antibiotics might never have been realised." — Alexander Fleming "Reported in Dennis V. Parke, "Clinical Pharmacokinetics in Drug Safety Evaluation," in ATLA: Alternatives To Laboratory Animals, vol. 22, no. 3, May/June 1994, p. 208." — Alexander Fleming "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 guess that was exactly what I did." — Alexander Fleming "Lecture at Harvard University. Quoted in Joseph Sambrook, David W. Russell, Molecular Cloning (2001), Vol. 1, 153." — Alexander Fleming