Louis Pasteur’s gifts to the world

Pasteurised milk, rabies vaccines, fermentation and a whole lot more. These were the gifts Louis Pasteur gave the world. Also called the Father of Microbiology and Immunology, Pasteur was one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century.
Born in a tiny village in France in 1822, Pasteur’s academic career actually took off under the influence of a brilliant chemistry teacher. Pasteur believed that science should have practical uses and went on to found the science of microbiology, or the study of organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. In fact, many of Pasteur’s greatest discoveries were based on the requests for help by wine and silk merchants, and his solutions to their problems, along with his work in fighting fatal diseases like rabies, made him a hero.
For instance, his most famous discovery, that of fermentation and decay, occurred when a vinegar manufacturer asked Pasteur to find out why the process of fermentation sometimes went awry. The problem was happening with both vinegar as well as wine. When Pasteur researched this predicament, he found that when wine aged properly, it contained round yeast cells. If the process went wrong, then the cells changed shape and became long and narrow. He had discovered that there were two types of yeast cells — one which helped the fermentation process and the other that spoilt the product.
Even as the scientific world absorbed this miracle, Pasteur went on to discover that heating wine to about 60 degrees Celsius killed the unwanted yeast. This method was soon applied equally to other liquids, especially to milk, and became known as "pasteurisation" after its inventor. Pasteur discovered the existence of life without oxygen: "Fermentation is the consequence of life without air". The discovery of anaerobic life paved the way for the study of germs that cause septicemia and gangrene, among other infections. Thanks to Pasteur, it became possible to devise techniques to kill microbes and to control contamination.
In 1881, Pasteur turned his attention to the combating of a deadly disease, in the shape of rabies, which was killing hundreds of people and animals in Europe every year. Careful studies showed Pasteur that brain tissue from infected animals could be turned into a vaccine. Four years later, in 1885, he experimented on a young boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog. The boy recovered. Going on from there, he proved that vaccination could help an animal to develop immunity to infecting bacteria.
Louis Pasteur’s discovery of the rabies vaccine had made him a star, and accolades, donations and rewards poured in even from political leaders like the Tsar of Russia and the Emperor of Brazil. The funds collected went to finance the Pasteur Institute, which was built in 1895. Pasteur died the very same year and was buried at the Institute.
He was the Father of Microbiology and Immunology.
Timeline....................
* 1822: Born in Arbois, France

* 1843: Begins his studies at the Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris

* 1854: Becomes Dean of The Faculty of Science at the University of Lille

* 1857-65: Studies the fermentation process

* 1865-70: Studies pebrine, a disease affecting the silkworm

* 1877-1887: Pasteur employed the fundamentals of microbiology in the battle against infectious diseases. He went on to discover three bacteria responsible for human illnesses — staphylococcus, streptococcus and pneumococcus.

* 1881: Begins work on rabies disease and proves the effectiveness of the anthrax vaccine

* 1888: Becomes Director of the Pasteur Institute

* 1895: Dies. Pasteur Institute is completed

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