One of the most widely prescribed medicines today was made possible, in part, because two observant scientists saw potential in something that most others would have dismissed.
In 1928, Bacteriologist Alexander Fleming returned from vacation to find one of his samples had been contaminated by a blue-green mold. He noticed that the bacteria were not growing where the mold was, and named this mold Penicillin.
Fleming did not have the staff or chemistry training to take his experiment further, but in 1940, Howard Florey continued Fleming’s work and was able to grow a limited number of penicillin cultures. Supplies were very limited until a lab assistant saw a cantaloupe in a grocery store that was covered with “a pretty, golden mold,” which yielded 200 times the amount of penicillin previously available.
Penicillin has saved thousands of lives, and it came to be thanks to recognizing the benefits of a contaminated sample and a lab assistant’s melon. Both scientists were curious and astute — being open to answers that came from anywhere, not just where they expected. May you be receptive to seeing the possibilities that present themselves to you.
