Florey, Sir Howard Walter

Howard Walter Florey (1898-1968) was one of two men who developed penicillin, the first antibiotic. Florey was born in Australia and attended the University of Adelaide before winning a Rhodes Scholarship to study

at Oxford University in England. In the 1920s and 1930s Florey's original research was in inflammatory reactions (such as allergic reactions) where the body produces mucus (a slimy secretion) to expel an irritating invader.

Working With Chain

In 1938, Florey began his work on antibacterial substances. He had hired Ernst Boris Chain (1906-1979) to work with him on these problems. Chain brought to Florey's attention Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955)'s writings on how molds (the origin of penicillin) had killed bacteria in one of his sample dishes. Florey and Chain then worked on synthesizing (artificially creating) a pure form of penicillin. The two researchers tested their conclusions on animals and humans with out-standing results.

After sharing the 1945 Nobel Prize in medicine with Chain and Fleming, Florey traveled to the United States to encourage production of penicillin for routine medical use. As a professor of pathology at Oxford, he also contributed to research on electron microscopy and circulatory and pulmonary (lung and breathing-related) illnesses.