1. HISTORY OF MICROBIOLOGY
 Some investigators suspected the existence
of small nonvisible organisms and their
responsibility for disease (Lucretius,
Fracastoro…)
 ANTONY VAN LEEUWENHOEK
(1632-1723, Delft, Holland)
construction of microscope (50 – 300 times)
1673 – letter to Royal Society of London
with bacteria and protozoa description
First book about microorganisms
 SPONTANEOUS GENERATION
CONFLICT
Started by Aristoteles (development of
living organisms from nonliving material),
both for macroorganisms (Redi), and after
discovery of microorganisms for a long
time for microorganisms (Pasteur)
LOUIS PASTEUR (1822-1895)
 „father of modern scientific microbiology“
 discrediting the theory of microorganisms
spontaneous generation
 organisms are responsible for changes
during fermentation (lactic, alcoholic,
acetic)
 discovery of anaerobic life
 microorganisms are aerobic, anaerobic,
facultative anaerobic
 use of heat to destroy microorganisms
(sterilization)
 milk heating to prevent milk souring
(pasteuratization)
 vaccination – attenuation of bacteria
during their long-term cultivation. Result –
they were not pathogenic but they stored
the possibility to stimulate immunity.
(anthrax, chicken cholera, rabies). First
vaccination – Jenner used cowpox against
human smallpox.
ROBERT KOCH (1843 – 1910)
 connection between Bacillus anthracis and
anthrax, developing of disease in
inoculated mice
 Causal relationship – microorg. X disease
Koch’s postulates:
1)The microorganisms must be present in
every case of the disease but absent from
healthy organisms.
2)The suspected microorganism must be
isolated and grown in pure culture.
3) The same disease must result when the
isolated microorganism is inoculated into a
healthy host.
4) The same microorganism must be
isolated again from the diseased host.
 Solidifying of liquid media by gelatine, the
growth of colonies. Later the use of agar
(not used by microorganisms) for
solidification. Construction of Petri dish.
Developing of media for cultivation.
 Isolation of bacteria in pure culture
(1876) Bacillus anthracis
(1882) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (tubercle
bacillus, Koch’s bacillus, BK)
(„golden age“ – during 30-40 years the
major pathogens were isolated)
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
 SERGEI N. WINOGRADSKY (1856-1953)
Soil microbiology
Bacteria oxidize Fe, S, NH4+ (nitrifying
bacteria)
Soil anaerobic N-fixation (Clostridium)
Soil cellulose decomposition
 MARTINUS W. BEIJERINCK (18511931)
Microbial ecology
Isolation aerobic N-fixing bacterium
(Azotobacter)
Root nodule N-fixing bacterium
(Rhizobium)
Sulphate reducing bacteria
Enrichment media
LATER MICROBIOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT
 Metabolism studies
Oxidation-reduction studies
Curtail significance of carbon and energy
flow in cells
Photosynthesis
Citric acid cycle
 Genetic studies
Genetic control of biochemical reactions
(one gene-one enzyme hypothesis
X-rays mutation in Escherichia
DNA is responsible for heredity (1944 –
Streptococcus pneumoniae)
(Watson and Crick discovered structure
of DNA – 1953)
MODERN MICROBIOLOGY
 Biotechnology
= modern use of biological systems in
technologies for economical benefit
 Medical microbiology
Microorganisms and diseases
 Immunology
Immune response (host defence) of higher
organisms
 Microbial ecology
Environ. relationships of microorganisms
Biochemical cycling reactions
Natural cycling of substances
Human impact on these processes
Removing of undesirable microorganisms
and chemicals from environment (esp.
soil and water) = bioremediation
Waste (sewage) treatment
 Industrial microbiology
„fermentation microbiology“ (!many
meanings of the word „fermentation“)
Milk processing to yoghurts, cheese
Production of ethanol, organic acids,
antibiotics, enzymes, food and feed
supplements (amino acids, vitamins,
polysaccharides)
Products for medicine – steroids, insulin,
growth hormone, somatostatins, interferon
Biofuels – hydrogen, methane (biogas),
ethanol
 Fermentation
- the industrial use of microorganisms
- processes in absence of O2
- production of alcoholic beverages
- process in which organic substances
are donors and acceptors of H+ or
electrons
- growth dependent on substrate
phosphorylation
AGRICULTURAL MICROBIOLOGY
 Maintenance of soil fertility
 Soil microbial activity – the influence of
soil management
 Interactions of microorganisms with
fertilizers and pesticides
 Plant and animal pathology
 The use of microorganisms to improve the
results of agricultural practice
Silage starters
Symbiotic N-fixation
Biological disease control (both plant and
animals)
Probiotics
SOME HISTORICAL MILESTONES
1546 Fracastoro – invisible organisms
cause disease
1676 Leeuwenhoek – discovers microbes
1786 Muller – first classification
1847 Semmelweis – use of antiseptics to
prevent disease
1857 Pasteur – lactic acid fermentation
due to a microorganism
1861 Pasteur – microrganisms do not arise
by spontaneous generation
1867 Lister – antiseptic surgery
1876 Koch – anthrax is caused by Bacillus
anthracis
1881 Pasteur – develops anthrax vaccine
1882 Koch – discovers tubercle bacillus
1884 Koch – postulates published
Metchnikoff - phagocytosis
1890 Beijerinck – root nodule bacteria
1892 Ivanowsky – evidence for virus
1915 D´Herelle and Twort – discovering of
bacterial viruses
1923 first edition of Bergey’s manual
1929 Fleming – discovery of penicillin
1937 dividing of organisms – Procaryotes,
Eucaryotes
1953 Watson and Crick – double helix
structure of DNA
1970 discovery of reverse transcriptase
and restriction endonucleases
1977 recognition of Archaebacteria
1979 insulin synthetized by recombinant
DNA technique
1983 HIV isolated and identified
1986 first vaccine produced by genetic
engineering approved for human use