Dr. Louis Pasteur

Considered one of the greatest biologists of the 19th century, Louis Pasteur began his important work as a humble French chemist. His scientific genius allowed him to debunk previously held theories such as that of the spontaneous generation of life, and to produce the most important discovery in medical history, the germ theory of disease. Although he did not make the initial discovery of microbes, he identified many microorganisms (staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci) and, even more important, determined the role of these microbes in causing disease. Pasteur’s scientific achievements have been cornerstones of modern medicine, and have laid the foundations for branches of science such as stereochemistry, microbiology, bacteriology, virology, immunology, and molecular biology. As a result of the practical application of his knowledge, Pasteur made some of the greatest contributions of any research scientist to the welfare of humanity.