Louis Pasteur

The celebrated French biologist Louis Pasteur was a scientific pioneer; his discoveries and advances led to treatments which saved countless lives.

This biography takes us from Pasteur’s formative years as a curious and bright child, to the first glimmers of promise he showed through school. His keen understanding of scientific principles, and a drive to enquire, experiment and innovate was soon apparent to his tutors. Pasteur was particularly interested in microbiology; his work upon germ theory and bacteriology revolutionized the idea of disease and the spread of sickness.

Pasteur is also remembered for advancing the science of vaccination. The rabies virus – at the time referred to as hydrophobia for its thirst-inducing qualities – was a deadly scourge upon France and wider Europe. Through rigorous experiment, Pasteur found that vaccines administered in a timely manner prevented rabies from progressing to its fatal stage. This discovery paved the way for further advances in vaccines, increasing their significance in disease prevention.

Given accolades by the government of France, and famed for retaining his diligence well into his senior years, Pasteur was granted a state funeral for his accomplishments.