THE HUMAN MICROBIOME
The Invisible Network
History of the Human Microbiome
1676 — Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
With his own design of a simple lens microscope in his hand, a Dutch microscopist named Leeuwenhoek became the first microbiologist in 1676. He was the first scientist to look at bacteria under a microscope [T.1]
1859 — Louis Pasteur
Pasteur was a French scientist who discovered microbial fermentation and that it is "caused by the growth of microorganisms or bacteria" [T.1]. He also created many vaccines and perfected the process of pasteurization.
1870 — Ferdinand Cohn
Cohn was a German biologist who is one of the founders of bacteriology. He is also the first to identify bacteria by their morphology [T.2].
1876 — Robert Koch
Robert Koch was a German physician who was also a founder of bacteriology. He discovered "the anthrax disease cycle" and that bacteria can cause disease [T.1, T.3].
1908 — Paul Ehrlich
Ehrlich was a German medical scientist. He "developed the first theory concerning how bacteria cause diseases and how the immune system fights these micro-organisms." [T.1, T.4,T.5]
1900s — Eli Metchnikoff
Metchnikoff was a Russian immunologist who "suggested that a synergistic interaction exists between bacteria and their host. He proposed that a link existed between better health and longer life..." [T.1]
2001 — Joshua Lederberg
Joshua Lederberg was a microbiologist widely known for his work in microbial genetics. He discovered that bacteria mate and exchange genes. He is credited with the coining of the word "microbiome." [T.6]
2007 — The Human Microbiome Project
The HMP launched in 2007, funded by the National Institutes of Health. This project sets out to define what a normal human microbiome is, and how it is linked to disease and health. [T.7]
