How Did Penicillin Really Kill Antibacterial Infections?

In September of 1929, an unlikely chain of events took place in a medical research lab in England that would advance the field of medicine immensely (Ho). Alexander Fleming, a young Scottish researcher, was investigating the theory that nasal mucus had antibacterial effects when he left a culture plate with Staphylococcus aureus, a deadly bacteria, in his lab while he went on a holiday (Ho). When he returned to his lab, he found that there was a clear halo surrounding growth of a yellow-green mold named Penicillium notatum that had accidentally contaminated the plate (Ho). The Staphylococcus bacteria had grown all over the plate, except the area surrounding the mold growth. Fleming would deduce that the mold released an active ingredient, which he …show more content…
As a result, scientist discovered new drugs, such as ampicillin and methicillin, to treat a wider range of infections (Zaffiri, Lorenzo, Gardner, and Toledo-Pereyra). By the end of the 20th Century, well under 10% of infections are fatal (Kardos, Nelson, and Demain). In modern times, penicillin is still used to treat bacterial infections, such as syphilis and tonsillitis (Debabov). However, many bacterial infections are penicillin resistant as a result of misuse (Debabov). Penicillin has a flaw and even Alexander Fleming noticed it in 1945 (Ho). In 1946, he wrote that the administration of doses that are too small allow for resistant strains of bacteria (Ho). In today’s society, the overuse of antibiotics, including penicillin, has allowed a multitude of bacteria to adapt and become resistant to medications ("Anti-Microbial Stewardship"). Antibiotic resistance has lead the development of antibiotic stewardship programs in the United States and a push to develop new antibiotics, because only two new types have been developed since 1962 ("Anti-Microbial Stewardship;"