Sir Alexander Fleming was a Scottish physician and microbiologist who is best known for his discovery of the enzyme lysozyme and the antibiotic substance penicillin. He was born on August 6, 1881 in Darvel, Scotland, and received his medical degree from the University of London in 1906.
After completing his medical education, Fleming served as a ship's surgeon in the Merchant Navy, and later worked as a researcher at St. Mary's Hospital in London. It was while working at St. Mary's that he made his most famous discovery, that of penicillin.
In September of 1928, Fleming returned to his laboratory after a vacation to find that a petri dish containing the bacteria Staphylococcus had been contaminated with a fungus. Upon examining the dish, Fleming noticed that the bacteria surrounding the fungus had been destroyed, leading him to believe that the fungus was producing a substance that was toxic to the bacteria.
Intrigued by this observation, Fleming set out to isolate and identify the substance produced by the fungus. After several months of experimentation, he was able to extract a substance that he called penicillin, which he found to be highly effective at killing bacteria.
Fleming's discovery of penicillin revolutionized the field of medicine, as it provided a means to effectively treat a wide range of bacterial infections. In 1945, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery.
Robert Fleming, on the other hand, was a Scottish banker and financier who founded the investment banking firm Robert Fleming & Co. He was born in 1845 in Dundee, Scotland, and began his career in banking as a clerk at the Bank of Scotland.
In 1873, Fleming left the Bank of Scotland and founded his own company, Robert Fleming & Co. The company quickly became a successful investment bank, with a focus on international finance. In the early 20th century, the company expanded into other areas, such as insurance and asset management.
Robert Fleming was a highly influential figure in the world of finance, and his company played a key role in the development of modern investment banking. He died in 1932, leaving behind a legacy as one of the pioneers of the modern financial industry.
Although Robert and Alexander Fleming are not related, both men have made significant contributions to their respective fields and have left a lasting impact on the world. Robert Fleming's work in finance helped to shape the modern financial industry, while Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin has saved countless lives and revolutionized the field of medicine.
