Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur was an amazing person, and his work has touched me because his early life was ordinary, and yet he became one of the greatest scientists of all time. No one could have imagined the accomplishments he would achieve in his life. Although Louis Pasteur is best known for the discovery of pasteurization, many people are not aware of his work with vaccinations. He created the vaccine for both rabies and cholera. Even when, later in life, he suffered a stroke and became partially paralyzed, it did not stop his relentless search for the cure of diseases. His story inspires me, and I hope will inspire you as well.

Louis Pasteur was the son of a leather tanner. He grew up in a small town in France, and his father sacrificed much to send him to a prestigious college in Paris called École Normale Supérieure. He had trouble deciding what to study, until he was introduced to chemistry. By the time Louis graduated, he earned a prize in physics and honorable mentions in three other subjects. He was also invited to teach at Strasbourg University in the town of Lille as the director of science. Of his many accomplishments, "Louis Pasteur demonstrated that the fermentation process in wines and other such liquids is caused by the growth of microorganisms, and that the growth of microorganisms in nutrient broth is not due to spontaneous generation." He also invented a process called pasteurization in which liquids such as milk are heated to kill all bacteria and molds present within them. Later in Pasteur’s life, he won the Leeuwenhoek Medal, microbiology’s highest honor.

Louis Pasteur has been a hero to me since I was young because I found the story of his life fascinating. Up until the time he created a vaccine for rabies, no one bit by a rabid animal had ever survived. Now, because of his work, there are vaccines for many diseases. In 1887, Louis Pasteur established a French non-profit private foundation, called the Pasteur Institute. Today it is still dedicated to the study of biology, microorganisms, diseases and vaccines. His work in both science and medicine has truly changed the world.