Robert Koch
developed streak plates to streak for single colonies
Robert Koch was a German physician and microbiologist known for his discovery of the bacterium responsible for causing tuberculosis and his contributions to the development of microbiology as a field.
Koch was born in 1843 in Germany and studied medicine at the University of Göttingen. He worked as a physician for several years before becoming interested in microscopy and microbiology.
In 1882, Koch discovered the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis. He developed a method for culturing the bacteria and was able to show that it was responsible for the disease. This discovery led to the development of vaccines and treatments for tuberculosis, which was a major public health issue at the time.
Koch also made important contributions to the study of other bacteria, including the discovery of the causative agents for cholera and anthrax. He developed new techniques for staining and isolating bacteria, which helped advance the field of microbiology.
Koch received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1905. He died in 1910 at the age of 66.
Overall, Robert Koch is remembered as a pioneering microbiologist who made important contributions to the understanding of infectious diseases and the development of medical treatments.