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UNCOVERED: Alexander fleming - The Untold Story

Penicillin Wasn't Just Fleming's Lab Accident: The Mold That Saved Millions Came from a Rotting Cantaloupe

Fleming's 1928 accident opened the antibiotic era, but the strain that mass-produced penicillin came from a moldy melon in Peoria, Illinois.

Medical Daily

In 1940, scientists had no fermentation tanks, so penicillin was grown in hundreds of ceramic vessels modeled on hospital bedpans; the improvised system helped turn Fleming’s discovery into a mass-produced medicine

In 1940, scientists working to develop penicillin faced a major obstacle: they had discovered a potentially lifesaving medicine but lacked the industrial equipment needed to produce it in large quantities. Instead of modern fermentation tanks, the Oxford team relied on improvised containers, including hospital bedpans and specially designed ceramic vessels.…

The Economic Times

64 Questions Americans Asked Europeans That Left Them Wondering If They Were Serious

Traveling and meeting people from different countries can lead to some pretty unexpected conversations. In this case, Europeans took to the internet to share the strangest questions they’ve been asked by Americans—questions that were apparently asked with complete sincerity. Keep reading to see which questions made the list.

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In 1928, Alexander Fleming returned from vacation and accidentally discovered penicillin, the medical breakthrough that became the world's most widely used antibiotic

Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin accidentally in 1928 after returning from vacation. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain later developed methods to purify this substance. Penicillin became a crucial medicine during World War II, saving many soldiers. This antibiotic revolutionized medical care by treating previously deadly infections. Penicillin laid the groundwork…

The Economic Times

91 Historical Photos That Feel Almost Impossible To Explain

History books usually show us famous events and familiar faces, but countless strange, haunting, and fascinating moments never make it into the textbooks. In this collection, we've gathered some of the most chilling and surprising historical photos you've probably never seen before. Keep scrolling—each image offers a fascinating glimpse into…

Bored Panda

What a ‘post-antibiotic era’ could mean for modern medicine

Antibiotics are one of the greatest breakthroughs in medical history. They turned once-deadly infections into treatable illnesses and made modern healthcare possible. But bacteria are changing, and some of the drugs we have depended on for decades are becoming less effective.

The Conversation

Resistance movement: how a play about penicillin brought the arts, science and politics together

Championed by a former chief medical officer, Lifeline is both a musical following Alexander Fleming’s discovery of the first antibiotic and a warning about the threat of superbugs in the present day

The Guardian - UK

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Science history: Alexander Fleming wakes up to funny mold in his petri dish, and accidentally discovers the first antibiotic — Sept. 28, 1928

Alexander Fleming was doing experiments with bacteria when he woke up to a strange mold growing in his petri dish. The "mold juice" would usher in the first antibiotic, penicillin, and would revolutionize medical care for bacterial infections.

LiveScience

Think you’re allergic to penicillin? Pharmacist explains why there’s a good chance you’re not

Up to 20% of Americans report that they have a penicillin allergy, yet fewer than 1% do

The Independent UK

25 Of The Biggest Mistakes That Changed The Course Of History

Destroyed centuries of knowledge. Whoopsie.

Bored Panda

‘Zombie spiders’ and Darwin collection among fungi archived in Kew digitisation

Scientists are digitising the Fungarium at Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew – one of the world’s biggest collections of fungal diversity.

Evening Standard

'How could it have been allowed to happen?': The threat of 'superbugs' was known from the first antibiotic, but we've failed to stop it.

"What are sometimes called superbugs — microbes resistant to every available drug — are not merely the stuff of nightmares. They are taking lives right now."

LiveScience

The rise and fall of antibiotics. What would a post-antibiotic world look like?

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest global threats to health, food security and development. This month, The Conversation’s experts explore how we got here and the potential solutions.

The Conversation

Nobel Prize For Penicillin Discovery Hits The Market

Dr. Ernst Chain's historic Nobel Prize up for sale at £1.6m ($1.95m) encapsulates a groundbreaking medical achievement.

Zenger

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The Hindu

National Research Foundation’s chance to bridge India’s science-society gap

The National Research Foundation, India’s new research funding agency with a Rs 50,000 crore budget, aims to boost research and innovation.

LiveScience

What is penicillin, and how was it discovered?

Discovered by sheer accident in the late 1920s, penicillin was the world's first antibiotic.

The Independent UK

William champions appeal to build centre tackling antimicrobial resistance

The topic is said to be something William is very interested in and his new patronage sits alongside his role as president of the Royal Marsden.

Daily Record

Disgusting brute threatened to slash girlfriend 'from ear to ear' in horrifying call

Alexander Fleming also threatened to 'crucify' the woman and nail her to a garden fence

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The Conversation

Rock stars: how a group of scientists in South Africa rescued a rare 500kg chunk of human history

Scientific breakthroughs can happen in the strangest ways and places. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin because of mould growing on a Petri dish left out while he was on holiday. Chinese monks in the 9th century wanted to make a potion for immortality: instead, they discovered gunpowder.

The Conversation

Gutter to gut: How antimicrobial-resistant microbes journey from environment to humans

From sore throats to fevers and life-threatening infections, most people have periodically used antibiotics. Recent reports show that the global COVID-19 pandemic has increased the use of antibiotics.

Zenger

Sweet Success: Scientists Develop Honey-Based Bee DNA Test To Monitor Hive Health

Scientists have developed an innovative method to examine DNA traces in honey that may help with the early identification of health problems in a hive when a deadly new disease variant cuts a swathe through global populations.

ABC News

Antibiotic resistance is threatening our health. Will bacterial infection send us back to the medical dark age?

Without new antibiotics, the world is on track to re-enter the medical dark ages by 2050, when a simple cut could kill 10 million people a year. So why are they so hard to find?

The Conversation

Cut yourself and others some slack: we need more time to experiment and fail at work

In 1928 Scottish microbiologist Alexander Fleming, while studying the staphylococcus bacteria, noticed mould on his petri dishes inhibited its growth. He experimented, leading to the discovery of penicillin, the first antibiotic.

The Conversation

Guns, not roses – here's the true story of penicillin’s first patient

Albert Alexander was dying. World War II was raging, and this police officer of the county of Oxford, England, had developed a severe case of sepsis after a cut on his face became badly infected. His blood was now teeming with deadly bacteria.

LiveScience

22 inventions that changed the world

From the wheel 5,500 years ago to the birth control pill, these 20 inventions had huge ramifications and have helped humans shape the world around us.

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