Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist known for being the founder of microbiology and a pioneer of modern medicine. However, in his early years, no one could have guessed that this would be his destiny, as he was neither very interested in science nor particularly gifted in the field. In fact, what interested and pleased him was the arts, and most of his acquaintances thought he would become an artist. It was at the age of 19 that he changed his mind.
Pasteur studied physics and chemistry at the University of Lille, and he even became its dean after completing his doctorate. Pasteur’s first success was pasteurization, which involved destroying most microorganisms responsible for food spoilage and prolonging the shelf life of food. It is used in milk, beer, wine, and other products, and thanks to this method, there are far fewer infections after consuming such food and drinks.
Pasteur believed that every organism comes from another, and for this reason, he developed the germ theory of disease, through which he claimed that infections occur because microorganisms can travel from one organism to another through the air or by contact. The approval of this theory represented a major breakthrough in medicine, particularly in hygiene practices. Thanks to Pasteur, medical personnel now wash their hands and sterilize their instruments after each patient, thereby avoiding many infections from that point onward.
Furthermore, Pasteur revolutionized the medical field once again by developing and creating a new vaccine, in which he injected a small amount of the disease into animals to make them immune to it. In 1888, the Pasteur Institute was founded in his honor in Paris, enjoying international prestige.