A Brief History of Microbiology

The Advent of An
1886: Theodore Escherich

Laying the Foundation

describes a bacterium which
he called “bacterium coli
tibiot
commune” and which was
later to be called Escherichia
coli. A strain he isolated in 1920s: Selman
ics
1886 is added to Waksman and Albert 1928: Alexander Fleming
the collection 1900: Almwroth Wright 1915: Isolation of the very Schatz lead a systematic accidentally discovers
upon its founding isolates NCTC 160 Salmonella first bacterial strain registered effort to screen soil penicillin. He returns from 1930s: NCTC introduces
(NCTC 86). enterica subsp. enterica in the collection. NCTC 1 is bacteria for antimicrobial vacation and notices that a freeze-drying of samples
serotype Typhi from the a strain of Shigella flexneri compounds. NCTC later
1890: German scientist culture plate left lying out to ensure longevity and
spleen of a typhoid patient recovered from Private Ernst acquires the Streptomyces
Robert Koch provides proof of had become overgrown streamline storage and
during the Boer War. His Cable, a WWI soldier who griseus strain (NCTC 4523)
germ theory by injecting pure with staphylococci colonies, shipment.
Our understanding of cultures of the Anthrax bacilli
wartime experiences later
lead him to
died from dysentery. It is
resistant to penicillin
from which they isolated except where mold was
1887: Julius Petri invents streptomycin. growing. He explores further
microbiology has evolved into mice. persuade the and erythromycin after his former assistant
the agar-coated glass dish armed forces to even though it was 1st Merlin Price reminds him,
enormously over the last for culturing bacteria; earlier produce 10 million isolated before “That’s how you discovered 1930s: Fritz Kauffman and
attempts at culturing involved vaccine doses for the discovery of 1920: NCTC is
150 years. Few institutions potato slices WWI troops in antibiotics. established to “provide
lysozyme.” Over the next 20
years, Fleming deposits 16
Phillip White co-develop
a scheme for classifying
and gelatin. northern France.
have witnessed our a trustworthy source of
authentic bacteria for
samples with NCTC, salmonellae by serotype.
including a sample
collective progress more use in scientific studies.” of Haemophilus
Frederick William influenza isolated
closely than the National Andrewes deposits the from his own nose in
first cultures.
Collection of Type Cultures November 1935.

(NCTC). In fact, the

collection itself is a record
of the many milestones
microbiologists have
Marshalling Science for
crossed, building on the 1977: Gilbert and Sanger Public Health 1941: Howard Florey and
Ernest Chain begin mass
TA

discoveries of those who independently develop production of penicillin

CG

methods to determine the with funds from the US

came before. exact sequence of DNA CT 1969: Don Brenner and colleagues
GT establish DNA hybridization as a more 1947: Edward Tatum and and British governments
molecules. A Joshua Lederberg produce the after the bombing of Pearl
reliable basis for classifying clinical
isolates of Enterobacteriaceae. He 1961: NCTC curator Samuel first gene map of E. coli K12 Harbor. By D-Day in 1944,
To date, 60% of NCTC’s uses the new method to replace Cowan and Kenneth Steel 1949: NCTC begins a 10- (NCTC 10538). Despite being enough penicillin has
publish ‘Diagnostic Tables for year effort to characterize every one of the most intensively been produced to treat all
type strains with more representative
historic collection now has 1977: CDC researchers Joseph McDade and specimens and identify numerous new the Common Medical Bacteria’ organism in the collection. studied organisms in the 20th wounded Allied Forces.
Charles C. Shepard isolate Legionella microbial species, including Moellerella in the Journal of Hygiene. century, no one definitively
a closed, finished reference pneumophilia (NCTC 11230 and wisconsensis (NCTC 12132), Leminorella Demand is so great the journal knows why it is called “K12”.
reprints and distributes them in
genome, thanks to PacBio® 11192) as the bacterial pathogen
behind the outbreak of a new
grimontii (NCTC 12152), Enterobacter
asburiae (NCTC 12123), and Citrobacter pamphlet form. The work forms
the basis of Cowan & Steel’s
Single Molecule, Real- pulmonary disease at a convention in braakii (NCTC 13630).
Manual for the Identification 1953: Pioneering food 1947: NCTC focus shifts from 1942: Florey and Chain
Philadelphia.
Time (SMRT®) Sequencing. of Medical Bacteria, first
published in 1965 and a bench-
safety microbiologist a general microbial collection contribute three Bacillus
Betty Constance Hobbs to bacteria of medical or strains (NCTC 6431, 6432,
We are excited to be top staple for years to come. publishes a study establishing veterinary interest. and 6474) thought to
Clostridium perfringens as the produce ‘antibacterial
their partner in crossing cause of many outbreaks of substances active against
food poisoning. She eventually the Staphylococcus,’
this latest milestone on deposits more than 20 NCTC demonstrating the
their quest to improve strains of bacteria associated
with food-borne illness.
researchers were even
then seeking
human and animal health antibiotics
by understanding the The Genomi beyond

cs Era
penicillin.
microscopic world.
1981: The European
Culture Collections’ 1987: The first automated 2003: Cornell
Organization, of which DNA sequencing instrument, University scientists
invented by Lloyd Smith, is led by Watt Webb 2011: PacBio ships its first commercial
NCTC is a member, is SMRT Sequencing system, introducing
established. commercialized by Applied and Harold Craighead
Biosystems. publish the first report scientists to the long-read sequencing 2014: NCTC and Wellcome Sanger
of using arrays of zero- platform that will ultimately become the gold Institute (WSI) launch a five-year
mode waveguides standard for generating complete, closed project to sequence 3,000 bacterial
for single-molecule microbial genomes. strains from the collection using PacBio
1982: Future Nobel Prize sequencing.
winner Barry Marshall drinks The largest recorded outbreak of foodborne sequencing technology.
a culture of the Helicobacter 1995: Craig Venter, Hamilton Smith, Claire hemolytic-uremic syndrome, eventually linked Sanger scientists
pylori (NCTC 11638 and Fraser, and colleagues at TIGR elucidate to German-grown sprouts, occurs in Europe. publish the genome
11639) to prove his theory the first complete genome sequence of a The organism responsible, a Shiga toxic E. coli of NCTC 1, generated with SMRT
that most microorganism, Haemophilus influenza, and (NCTC 13562). Sequencing, and compare it to other
stomach submit the sequence to NCBI. S. flexneri isolates collected in 1954, 2018: NCTC scientists Sarah
ulcers are 1984, and 2002. Alexander and Mohammed-
caused by Abbas Fazal complete the
bacteria. extraction of DNA from more
www.pacb.com/microbe than 3000 NCTC species and
samples are delivered to WSI
for sequencing using PacBio
technology.
PN: INF103-061919