Sample of penicillin mould presented by Alexander Fleming to Douglas Macleod, 1935 (9672239344), illustrating event-penicillin

Sample of penicillin mould presented by Alexander Fleming to Douglas Macleod, 1935. Front three-quarter view, grey background. Science Museum London / Science and Society Picture Library. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Historical event

Penicillin's Antibacterial Effect Observed

1928

London

Alexander Fleming observed that mould inhibited bacterial growth; later teams turned the finding into a usable mass-produced medicine.

Overview

Alexander Fleming observed that mould inhibited bacterial growth; later teams turned the finding into a usable mass-produced medicine. Its causes, participants and consequences connect this record to the wider History of Medicine guide, where the event is placed in chronology rather than treated as an isolated date.

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