Howard Florey

Sir Howard Walter Florey, Baron of Adelaide M.A., M.D., Ph.D., FRCP FRS OM PRS (24, September, 1898 - 21, February, 1968) was a British author, businessman, pathologist, pharmacologist and physician. During his career, Florey served as Professor of Pathology at Lincoln College of the University of Oxford, Medical Consultant of the Royal British Army, Chancellor of the University of Australia and fifty-first President of the Royal Society. In 1945, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for producing the first antibiotic treatment for bacterial infections. Lord Florey is accredited with saving 2,000,000 lives due to his discovery and his role in it's distribution during the Second World War.

Florey's laboratory conducted experiments which successfully attempted to isolate the antimicrobial molecule penicillin from the chrysogenum species of the penicillium fungi, developed methods of concentrating and purifying penicillin, produced a penicillin based treatment for patients with bacterial infections and purified the antibacterial enzyme lysozyme and the antimicrobial molecule penicillin, which were administered as antiseptics and antibiotics and successfully treated patients with bacterial infections.

Florey personally co-founded the University of Australia, conducted experiments which successfully utilized the purified penicillin molecule as a treatment for patients with staphylococci and streptococci infections, directed the pathology departments of the Universities of Oxford and Sheffield in the United Kingdom & the University of the Dominion of Australia, founded the Curtin School of Medical Research at the University of Australia, instigated the commercial mass production of penicillin products and oversaw the distribution of penicillin to soldiers of the British Empire and Allied Forces during the Second World War.