Major contributions to the science of microbiology (as a discipline in its modern sense) have spanned the time from the mid-17th century month by month to the present day. The following is a list of notable microbiologists who have made significant contributions to the study of microorganisms. Many of those listed have received a Nobel Prize for their contributions to the field of microbiology. The others are typically considered historical figures whose work in microbiology had a notable impact in the field. Those microbiologists who currently work in the field have been excluded unless they have received recognition beyond that of being on the faculty in a college or university.

Proto-microbiologists Mahavira Marcus Terentius Varro Avicenna Girolamo Fracastoro Marcello Malpighi Athanasius Kircher Jan Swammerdam Robert Hooke

Microbiologists

Birth - DeathMicrobiologist Nationality Contribution summary 1632–1723 Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Dutch Considered to be the first acknowledged microscopist. Van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe microscopic organisms, using simple single-lensed microscopes of his own design.Lane, Nick (6 March 2015). "The Unseen World: Reflections on Leeuwenhoek (1677) 'Concerning Little Animal'." Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015 Apr; 370 (1666): 20140344. [doi:10.1098/rstb.2014.0344]1729–1799Lazzaro SpallanzaniItalianProved that bacteria did not arise due to spontaneous generation by developing a sealed, sterile broth medium.dictionary of medical eponyms: Whonamedit - dictionary of medical eponyms, accessdate: September 9, 2015 1749–1823 Edward Jenner English Developed vaccination techniques against smallpox. 1818–1865 Ignaz Semmelweis Hungarian Demonstrated that doctors washing their hands with chlorine solution significantly reduced mortality of women giving birth in hospital setting. 1853–1938 Hans Christian Gram Danish Developed the Gram stain used to identify and classify bacteria. 1845–1922 Charles Lavaran French 1907 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the causative agents of malaria and trypanosomiasis. 1827–1912 Joseph Lister English Introduced sterilisation techniques to surgery. 1822–1895 Louis Pasteur French Seminal discoveries in vaccination, food safety, and microbial fermentation. A key proponent of the germ theory of disease. 1850–1934 Fanny Hesse German Developed agar for use in culturing bacteria.Walter and Fanny Hesse: Walter and Fanny Hesse, accessdate: September 9, 2015 1851–1931 Martinus Beijerinck Netherlands Discovered the first virus as well as bacterial nitrogen fixation and sulfate reduction.1885–1948Marjory StephensonBritishPioneer of bacterial metabolism. 1871–1957 Kiyoshi Shiga Japanese Discovered a bacterium causing an outbreak of dysentery.A. F. Trofa, H. Ueno-Olsen, R. Oiwa, M. Yoshikawa: Dr. Kiyoshi Shiga: Discoverer of the Dysentery Bacillus. In: Clinical Infectious Diseases. 29, 1999, S. 1303, .1856-1953Sergei WinogradskyUkrainianDiscovered the first known forms of chemoautotrophy, in particular lithotrophy and chemosynthesis. Invented the Winogradsky column technique for the study of sediment microbes. Pioneered the study of biogeochemical cycles, particularly the nitrogen cycle and the contribution of nitrifying bacteria.1854–1917Emil Adolf von BehringGerman1901 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for discovering diphtheria antitoxin.1857–1932Sir Ronald RossBritish1902 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering that malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes1843–1910Robert KochGerman1905 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on tuberculosis; identified causative agents of tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax.1845–1922Charles Louis Alphonse LaveranFrench1907 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for recognizing parasitic protozoa as the causes of malaria and African sleeping sickness.1857–1940Julius Wagner-JaureggAustrian1927 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the neurosyphilis could be treated by inducing fever with malaria parasites.1866–1936Charles Jules Henri NicolleFrench1928 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for determining that typhus is transmitted by body lice.1895–1964Gerhard DomagkGerman1939 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovering the first commercially available antibiotic: prontosil.1881–1955Sir Alexander FlemingScottish1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering penicillin.1906–1979Sir Ernst Boris ChainBritish1898–1968Howard Walter FloreyAustralian1899–1972Max TheilerSouth African1951 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing a vaccine against yellow fever.1888–1973Selman Abraham WaksmanAmerican1952 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for identifying streptomycin and other antibiotics.1927–2021Gerard Roland VelaAmericanMicrobiologist, professor, fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. Discovered Paenibacillus velaei1958–2023Wayne L. NicholsonAmerican Microbiologist, professor, and fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Living Ilan Chet (born 1939), Israeli microbiologist, professor, and President of the Weizmann Institute of Science Inna Sekirov, Moldovan-born, Canadian medical microbiologist and physician-scientist Pascale Guiton, Ivory Coast-born assistant professor at California State University, founder of the Guiton Lab Pauline Johnson, immunologist Rita R. Colwell, American environmental microbiologist who studied the ecology of cholera, former director of the National Science Foundation and president of the American Society for Microbiology William C. Campbell, 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his part in the discovery of avermectin Yossef Av-Gay (born 1961), Israeli microbiologist and researcher Everett Peter Greenberg, American microbiologist and professor at University of Washington who studied quorum sensing and its role in biofilm formation References