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The main predecessors recognized by Louis Pasteur (Spallanzani, Davaine, and Schwann) and his main supporters (Tyndall and Lister) (© Institut Pasteur, Musée Pasteur; © Wikipedia; © Collection of Pauls Stradiņš, Museum of History of Medicine, Riga, Latvia).
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Louis Pasteur is the most internationally known French scientist. He discovered molecular chirality, and he contributed to the understanding of the process of fermentation, helping brewers and winemakers to improve their beverages. He proposed a process, known as pasteurization, for the sterilization of wines. He established the germ theory of infe...
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... fact that fermentation is part of the action of a living entity had been hypothesized since Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723 observed yeast under his microscope in 1680. The link between these cells and the fermentation process was described in 1787 by Adamo Fabroni (1748-1816, in 1803 by Baron Louis Jacques Thénard , in 1836 by Theodor A.H. Schwann (1810-1882 (Figure 2), in 1837 by Friedrich T. Kützing (1807-1893), in 1838 by Pierre Jean François Turpin (1775-1840) and Charles Cagniard de Latour , and finally in 1854 by Antoine Béchamp , who understood the process a few years before Pasteur, establishing the complementarity between yeast and a soluble substance he named "zymase" (Figure 3). Biomolecules 2022, 12, x 4 of 22 While in Lille, Pasteur was contacted by beet alcohol producers who were facing difficulties in their process of fermentation. ...
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... fact that fermentation is part of the action of a living entity had been hypothesized since Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723 observed yeast under his microscope in 1680. The link between these cells and the fermentation process was described in 1787 by Adamo Fabroni (1748-1816, in 1803 by Baron Louis Jacques Thénard , in 1836 by Theodor A.H. Schwann (1810-1882 (Figure 2), in 1837 by Friedrich T. Kützing (1807-1893), in 1838 by Pierre Jean François Turpin (1775-1840) and Charles Cagniard de Latour , and finally in 1854 by Antoine Bé-champ , who understood the process a few years before Pasteur, establishing the complementarity between yeast and a soluble substance he named "zymase" ( Figure 3). With regard to the first work of Pasteur on fermentation, his text published in 1858 [9] is at the very least ambiguous concerning his position on the concept of spontaneous generation: "It is not necessary to already have lactic yeast to prepare it: it takes birth spontaneously, with as much ease as brewer's yeast, whenever the conditions are favorable " […] I use this word (spontaneous) as an expression of the fact, completely reserving the question of spontaneous generation. ...
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... those were, in France, Félix Archimède Pouchet (1800-1872) and his theory of heterogenesis [13] and Hermann Pidoux (1808-1882 and his theory of organic vitalism [14] and, in the UK, Lionel Beale (1828-1906) [15]. By contrast, John Tyndall (1820-1893), a famous Irish physicist (Figure 2), was a great supporter of Pasteur's theory of germs and published his own experiments on the presence of germs in the air [16,17]. A French catholic priest, Abbé Moigno (1804-1884), a great popularizer of science, gathered texts from Invited by beer and wine producers, bringing a microscope into a biochemistry laboratory, Pasteur identified pathogens that were responsible for different wine diseases. ...
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... he started his studies to refute spontaneous generation and initiated his germ theory, many demonstrations were already published by a large number of scientists (Table 3). Indeed, Louis Pasteur was a great admirer of Lazzaro Spallanzani (1729-1799), recognizing his immense contribution when he first demonstrated the non-existence of spontaneous generation (Figure 2). Pasteur was offered by Raphaël Bischoffsheim , banker, philanthropist, and deputy, a painting by Jules Édouard (1827-1878) representing Spallanzani, which hung in his large dining room. ...
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... those were, in France, Félix Archimède Pouchet (1800-1872) and his theory of heterogenesis [13] and Hermann Pidoux (1808-1882 and his theory of organic vitalism [14] and, in the UK, Lionel Beale (1828-1906) [15]. By contrast, John Tyndall (1820-1893), a famous Irish physicist (Figure 2), was a great supporter of Pasteur's theory of germs and published his own experiments on the presence of germs in the air [16,17]. A French catholic priest, Abbé Moigno (1804-1884), a great popularizer of science, gathered texts from Tyndall and Pasteur in a book on "Organized microbes, their role in fermentation, putrefaction and contagion", [18]. ...
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... competition between the German school led by Robert Koch (1843-1919) (Figure 2) and that of Pasteur [32] was based on the identification of the germs responsible for some infectious diseases. Of course, the name of Koch is associated with discovery of the bacillus of tuberculosis and improperly to that of cholera, which was first identified by Filippo Pacini (1812-1883) in Florence (Italy) in 1854. ...
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... France, in 1850, Pierre Rayer (1793-1867) was the first to demonstrate the contagiousness of the disease. However, the main achievement was accomplished by a precursor of Pasteur, Casimir J. Davaine (1812-1882) (Figure 2). Jean Rostand , a famous writer and biologist, wrote: "It is commonly believed in the public that it was Pasteur who discovered the role of microbes in the production of infectious diseases. ...
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... discoveries on germs allowed great advances in the practice of surgery. In 1865, Joseph Lister (1827-1912), a Scottish surgeon in Glasgow (Figure 2), learned Louis Pasteur's theory that microorganisms cause infection. Using phenol as an antiseptic, he reduced the mortality of amputee patients to 15% in four years, compared to 45-50% who died of sepsis previously. ...
Citations
... Bollinger described sickness in buffalo and cattle during the same period. Trevisan suggested the name "Pasteurella" in 1887 to honor Louis Pasteur's groundbreaking research on the etiology of poultry cholera conducted in the early 1880s (Cavaillon and Legout, 2022). In 1939, Rosenbach and Merchant proposed the term "P. ...
Hemorrhagic septicemia (HS) is an acute septicemic disease that primarily affects cattle and buffalo. This illness is caused by a specific serotype of Gram-negative coccobacillus, Pasteurella multocida. The frequency and distribution of HS epidemics involving various animal species vary according to the agroclimatic zone. HS has significant economic implications, particularly in Asia and, to a lesser extent, Africa. The transmission of HS can occur through direct contact, ingestion, or inhalation of contaminated feed or water. The virulence factors of P. multocida include a number of defense mechanisms or components that help the pathogen be detected by the host immune system. A number of components contribute to the pathogenicity of P. multocida, particularly its toxins and capsules. The primary clinical signs and peracute or acute pathological alterations in other HS cases include septic pneumonia, petechial hemorrhages, ecchymoses in the serous membranes, adrenal glands, and abomasum with severe bleeding, as well as widespread head and neck edema. Affected animals exhibit fever, sadness, and other vague clinical symptoms (such as reduced milk production), which are quickly followed by copious serous nasal discharge and excessive salivation. HS-causing P. multocida strains may not be found in previously obtained samples, but they can be cultivated from blood during the later stages of the illness. Antibiotics of several types have been used to treat HS. Effective control of various HS diseases will be aided by hygienic planning, immunoprophylaxis, chemotherapy, and fundamental management practices, including feeding and maintenance.
... Throughout all these times, folk medicine has evolved, effectively to overcome the diseases and conditions caused by life. Our modern medicine has been accepted and developed only in the last 250 years, 1,2 but is the prevailing paradigm in many if not most, countries. At the same time, there is a strong practice of traditional medicine, which is also becoming more and more recognized by science and practitioners of modern medicine. ...
... This concept was probably intuited by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in his first description of microbes as "animalcules" when he observed them under the microscope [13] , thus assuming the presence of organs within them [14] . Later (around 1880), "microorganism" was Louis Pasteur's preferred denomination for unicellular organisms, based on the term "microscopic organisms" used by the French surgeon, Charles Sédillot [15] . In 1884, the German zoologist Karl August Möbius used the terms "organulum" (the diminutive of the Latin "organum") and the plural "organula" for the first time, to refer to the various parts of one cell [16] . ...
Evolutionary processes acting on molecule populations and their assemblies preceded the origin of living organisms. These prebiotic world entities were (re)produced; that is, independently produced by the assembly of their components, following an iterative process giving rise to identical entities, recalling the progeny resulting from self-reproduction. Before the dawn of life, natural selection favored the more stable molecular assemblies, some possibly modifying their own structure, or their environment, thereby acquiring some kind of function. In association with others (as when encapsulated together by a vesicle), they found a role when their spatial-temporal coexistence favored the selection of the ensemble. A few successful combinations of those proto-organs, and their maintenance derived from their coded-structural information, might have evolved into self-replication, followed by the extinction of a myriad of looser ensembles. Thus, interactions between encapsulated proto-organs would have had a much higher probability of evolving into organisms than interactions among simpler molecules. Organs might have preceded organisms.
... Since the gas phase and dissolved carbon dioxide are in thermodynamic equilibrium even in this case, a signi cant reduction in CO2 concentration was observed. This signi cant decrease in CO2 concentration will reduce the number and size of bubbles in the glass, and will have the added avour of carbonation during tasting which will change the mechanism of avour perception [11]. ...
... The response of sparkling wine to a gradual change in pressure in an irregularly shaped champagne bottle is explained by the fact that bound carbon dioxide molecules migrate in the material system, due to molecular diffusion under the condition of unequal chemical potentials due to the larger area of space. Based on Fick's rst law and taking into account the constant mass transfer factor of CO2, it can be stated that the pressure of sparkling wine in this type of bottle gradually decreased [11]. ...
Foaming and sparkling properties are the main indicators in the evaluation of sparkling wine. Taking into account the morphological type of the bottle, it is possible to assume the production technology of sparkling wine. Sparkling wines produced by classical technology are traditionally bottled in champagne type bottles. When sparkling wine is aged in such bottles, the amount of dissolved CO2 is observed to be conserved due to the preservation of pressure. It was found that in bottles whose shape is radically different from the classic bottle, there is a decrease in pressure and deterioration of the foaming index. It was found that the surfactants formed during secondary fermentation are found to be in lower quantity in the non-standard Monroe bottle and experience thermodynamic disequilibrium, which is explained by the fact that the total volume of molecules of biochemical nature is smaller than the volume of the vessel and, consequently, the average distance between molecules is much larger than the size of the molecules themselves.
... René Vallery-Radot and Émile Duclaux, among others, contributed to his legendary status, though historical scrutiny unveils a more nuanced portrayal. Despite his scientific triumphs, Pasteur's authoritarian demeanor and contentious views, such as his opposition to admitting women to science courses, underscore the complexities of his character and the broader historical context (Cavaillon & Legout, 2022). The historical analysis of sanitary practices in the late 19th and early 20th centuries reveals intersections between miasmatic and contagionist explanations, where concerns over deleterious gases and animalcula evolved into microbial theories. ...
... Furthermore cited by Grancher was Girolamo Fracastoro (1483-1553). This seventeenth-century physician, who also created the term syphilis, predicted that tuberculosis would spread quickly and believed that rabies would develop after "seminaria," or germs, entered the body: "He was also an intuitive and astute precursor, also unknown to M. Pasteur, I am sure" (Cavaillon & Legout, 2022). ...
... The exploration of alternative theories and perspectives in the origin of life debate, such as the Carbaquist viewpoint and Panspermia theory, challenges conventional assumptions about life's origins on Earth and underscores the complexity of understanding life's fundamental underpinnings (McNichol, 2008). The evolution of vaccination theory, from Jenner to Pasteur and beyond, underscores the intricate interplay between historical figures' contributions and the advancement of scientific understanding in immunology (Cavaillon & Legout, 2022). The study explores the spontaneous generation of chirality in simple diaryl ethers, shedding light on their molecular structures and stereochemical properties (Lennartson, Hedström, & Håkansson, 2015). ...
The concept of spontaneous generation, originating from ancient philosophical and theological debates, has persisted through scientific inquiry and paradigm shifts. This article explores the historical trajectory of spontaneous generation theory from its roots in Aristotelian philosophy to its refutation by pivotal experiments in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Through an examination of key figures such as Louis Pasteur and Francesco Redi, the evolution of scientific understanding regarding the origin of life is elucidated. Pasteur's contributions to germ theory and experimental microbiology, including his famous swan-neck flask experiment, played a decisive role in discrediting the notion of spontaneous generation. Moreover, Redi's controlled experiments with meat and flies provided empirical evidence against the spontaneous generation of maggots. The article also delves into the broader socio-political context surrounding these scientific debates, highlighting the influence of societal authorities and shifting scientific paradigms on the acceptance of new ideas. Additionally, it discusses the role of advancements in microbiology and biochemistry in shaping contemporary perspectives on the origin of life, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of scientific inquiry in this field. Ultimately, the narrative underscores the pivotal role of empirical evidence and scientific rigor in overturning long-standing beliefs, illuminating the complex interplay between social context, scientific progress, and the quest for understanding life's fundamental processes. Investigations into the spontaneous production of hydrogen peroxide from pure water micro droplets highlight the complexity of spontaneous chemical reactions. Historical perspectives on spontaneous generation, offer valuable insights into the evolution of scientific thought. Synthesizing recent findings with historical context provides a comprehensive understanding of spontaneous generation's implications across diverse research fields.
... René Vallery-Radot and Émile Duclaux, among others, contributed to his legendary status, though historical scrutiny unveils a more nuanced portrayal. Despite his scientific triumphs, Pasteur's authoritarian demeanor and contentious views, such as his opposition to admitting women to science courses, underscore the complexities of his character and the broader historical context (Cavaillon & Legout, 2022). The historical analysis of sanitary practices in the late 19th and early 20th centuries reveals intersections between miasmatic and contagionist explanations, where concerns over deleterious gases and animalcula evolved into microbial theories. ...
... Furthermore cited by Grancher was Girolamo Fracastoro (1483-1553). This seventeenth-century physician, who also created the term syphilis, predicted that tuberculosis would spread quickly and believed that rabies would develop after "seminaria," or germs, entered the body: "He was also an intuitive and astute precursor, also unknown to M. Pasteur, I am sure" (Cavaillon & Legout, 2022). ...
... The exploration of alternative theories and perspectives in the origin of life debate, such as the Carbaquist viewpoint and Panspermia theory, challenges conventional assumptions about life's origins on Earth and underscores the complexity of understanding life's fundamental underpinnings (McNichol, 2008). The evolution of vaccination theory, from Jenner to Pasteur and beyond, underscores the intricate interplay between historical figures' contributions and the advancement of scientific understanding in immunology (Cavaillon & Legout, 2022). The study explores the spontaneous generation of chirality in simple diaryl ethers, shedding light on their molecular structures and stereochemical properties (Lennartson, Hedström, & Håkansson, 2015). ...
The concept of spontaneous generation, originating from ancient philosophical and theological debates, has persisted through scientific inquiry and paradigm shifts. This article explores the historical trajectory of spontaneous generation theory from its roots in Aristotelian philosophy to its refutation by pivotal experiments in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Through an examination of key figures such as Louis Pasteur and Francesco Redi, the evolution of scientific understanding regarding the origin of life is elucidated. Pasteur's contributions to germ theory and experimental microbiology, including his famous swan-neck flask experiment, played a decisive role in discrediting the notion of spontaneous generation. Moreover, Redi's controlled experiments with meat and flies provided empirical evidence against the spontaneous generation of maggots. The article also delves into the broader socio-political context surrounding these scientific debates, highlighting the influence of societal authorities and shifting scientific paradigms on the acceptance of new ideas. Additionally, it discusses the role of advancements in microbiology and biochemistry in shaping contemporary perspectives on the origin of life, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of scientific inquiry in this field. Ultimately, the narrative underscores the pivotal role of empirical evidence and scientific rigor in overturning long-standing beliefs, illuminating the complex interplay between social context, scientific progress, and the quest for understanding life's fundamental processes. Investigations into the spontaneous production of hydrogen peroxide from pure water micro droplets highlight the complexity of spontaneous chemical reactions. Historical perspectives on spontaneous generation, offer valuable insights into the evolution of scientific thought. Synthesizing recent findings with historical context provides a comprehensive understanding of spontaneous generation's implications across diverse research fields.
... The life of Pasteur is a case in point of the struggle between scientific myths and mythical science and historical enquiry (seeCavaillon & Legout, 2022;Latour, 1987). ...
On the basis of the literature on myths and narrative tropes in science and religion, this chapter enquires into RKC mythical narratives to highlight the relevance of certain key figures, events and objects that constitute the main characters around which these communities weave their common goals, visions and sense of belonging. Exploring the construction of, and the tropes surrounding, these mythical narratives—both scientific and religious—this analysis also emphasises the way such narratives stimulate everyday discussions, practices and even ritual forms within RKCs. In addition to martyrdom stories, a special focus on the myth surrounding the story of Ryke Geerd Hamer and the foundation of German New Medicine also serves to highlight an archetypal path in which the narrative tropes of mythic science and religious prophets converge. The chapter concludes by highlighting how compound martyrdom, mythical science and religious prophet stories, together with the ritual, social and cultural practices that they trigger, consolidate the demarcation between social worlds, contributing to the distinctions between an ‘us’–members of refused knowledge communities–and a ‘them’, i.e. the rest of society.
... Traditional vaccine methods, rooted in Pasteur's principles, face challenges in combatting infectious diseases. Many existing vaccines were created using older methods [31,32]. Eradicating infectious diseases requires modern vaccine technology, offering improved efficacy, safety, scalability, and control. ...
Background
Coxiella burnetii, an intracellular pathogen, serves as the causative agent of zoonotic Q fever. This pathogen presents a significant threat due to its potential for airborne transmission, environmental persistence, and pathogenicity. The current whole-cell vaccine (WCV) utilized in Australia to combat Q fever exhibits notable limitations, including severe adverse reactions and limited regulatory approval for human use. This research employed the reverse vaccinology (RV) approach to uncover antigenic proteins and epitopes of C. burnetii, facilitating the development of more potent vaccine candidates.
Methods
The potential immunogenic proteins derived from C. burnetii RSA493/Nine Mile phase I (NMI) were extracted through manual, automated RV, and virulence factor database (VFDB) methods. Web tools and bioinformatics were used to evaluate physiochemical attributes, subcellular localization, antigenicity, allergenicity, human homology, B-cell epitopes, MHC I and II binding ratios, functional class scores, adhesion probabilities, protein-protein interactions, and molecular docking.
Results
Out of the 1850 proteins encoded by RSA493/NMI, a subset of 178 demonstrated the potential for surface or membrane localization. Following a series of analytical iterations, 14 putative immunogenic proteins emerged. This collection included nine proteins (57.1%) intricately involved in cell wall/membrane/envelope biogenesis processes (CBU_0197 (Q83EW1), CBU_0311 (Q83EK8), CBU_0489 (Q83E43), CBU_0939 (Q83D08), CBU_1190 (P39917), CBU_1829 (Q83AQ2), CBU_1412 (Q83BU0), CBU_1414 (Q83BT8), and CBU_1600 (Q83BB2)). The CBU_1627 (Q83B86 ) (7.1%) implicated in intracellular trafficking, secretion, and vesicular transport, and CBU_0092 (Q83F57) (7.1%) contributing to cell division. Additionally, three proteins (21.4%) displayed uncharacterized functions (CBU_0736 (Q83DJ4), CBU_1095 (Q83CL9), and CBU_2079 (Q83A32)). The congruent results obtained from molecular docking and immune response stimulation lend support to the inclusion of all 14 putative proteins as potential vaccine candidates. Notably, seven proteins with well-defined functions stand out among these candidates.
Conclusions
The outcomes of this study introduce promising proteins and epitopes for the forthcoming formulation of subunit vaccines against Q fever, with a primary emphasis on cellular processes and the virulence factors of C. burnetii.
... In the postsurgical setting, Lister argued, infections could be prevented by placing an antiseptic shield between the wound and the air surrounding it. It was even speculated that every disease might be prevented by removing or killing airborne germs, such as by filtration, heat, or chemicals [3,4,6,[11][12][13][14][15]. ...
... As filtration and exposure to heat were unsuitable for treating human skin, Lister suggested a chemical substance [3,5,[13][14][15][16][17]. In 1865, carbolic acid, commonly known as creosote, was used to disinfect compound fractures. ...
... University staff, ministers of state, ambassadors, representatives from the Institut de France, and scientists attended. In a picture painted 10 years later by the artist Jean-André Rixens, Lister is ascending the steps to congratulate Pasteur[3,5,6,[11][12][13][14][15] (Figure 2). ...
Joseph Lister was a prominent British surgeon and medical scientist who established the study of antisepsis. Applying Louis Pasteur's germ theory of fermentation on wound putrefaction, he promoted the idea of sterilization in surgery using carbolic acid (phenol) as an antiseptic. His method reduced the incidence of wound sepsis and gangrene, which, in turn, reduced the need for amputation. By showing how germs could be prevented from entering the wound, Lister increased the safety of surgical operations and laid the foundations for all subsequent advances in the field.
... This conformed to an earlier term, Streptococcus, coined by Austrian surgeon Theodor Billroth in 1877, who observed Streptococci in chains. The Greek word streptos means twisted or chain, and kokkos for berry (Cavaillon and Legout 2022). ...
When the hunter-gatherers finally started settling down as farmers, infectious diseases started scourging them. The earlier humans could differentiate sporadic diseases like tooth decay, tumors, etc., from the infectious diseases that used to cause outbreaks and epidemics. The earliest comprehension of infectious diseases was primarily based on religious background and myths, but as human knowledge grew, the causes of these diseases were being probed. Similarly, the taxonomy of infectious diseases gradually changed from superstitious prospects, like influenza, signifying disease infliction due to the “influence of stars” to more scientific ones like tuberculosis derived from the word “tuberculum” meaning small swellings seen in postmortem human tissue specimens. From a historical perspective, we identified five categories for the basis of the microbial nomenclature, namely phenotypic characteristics of microbe, disease name, eponym, body site of isolation, and toponym. This review article explores the etymology of common infectious diseases and microorganisms’ nomenclature in a historical context.
