Antimicrobials have revolutionized medical science during the 20^th Century. The history of antimicrobial discovery has been a long and storied one, culminating in strides in the fight against human disease.There are 3 main classes of antimicrobials – disinfectants, antiseptics, and antibiotics. Disinfectants (which include bleach and common household cleaning materials) are non-selective agents that kill microbes on non-living surfaces, preventing their spread. Antiseptics are applied to living tissue during surgery, reducing microbial infection. Antibiotics are drugs that are used to destroy microbes within the body by either killing them or slowing their development and growth.The term “antibiotics” is used to specifically refer to antibacterials but in recent years it has been expanded to include drugs that treat all forms of microbe. It also used to only describe drugs that were derived from living microorganisms but now includes synthetic formulations such as fluoroquinolones and sulfinamides. Antibacterial agents can be subdivided into bactericidal and bacteriostatic agents.Since the late 19^th/early 20^th century, many antimicrobial drugs have been developed and released onto the market worldwide, treating a variety of infectious diseases. They are designed to kill or slow down the activity of microbes. They include antibacterials, antivirals, antifungals, and antiparasitic drugs.

Antimicrobials in the ancient world

Nowadays, most people assume that before the advent of the antimicrobial revolution in the latter half of the 20^th-century people automatically succumbed to the effects of infectious disease with no protection against it. This is not so, however. There is a plethora of evidence that human societies have employed the use of antimicrobials for over 2000 years.

There were a variety of, albeit poorly understood, treatments available for victims of infectious disease. Herbs, honey, and even animal feces were used. Mortality rates were far higher in the ancient world, however.

Perhaps the most relevant and widespread use of an antimicrobial agent in ancient societies was the topical use of moldy bread as a therapeutic. There is documented evidence of its use in Egypt, Serbia, China, Greece, and the Roman Empire. The widespread use of molds in this manner has been documented in John Parkinson’s Theatrum Botanicum, published in 1640.

There is even archeological evidence of antibiotics that are used in the modern world in Nubia and Roman-occupied Egypt. Traces of tetracycline has been discovered in bones of human skeletons from these eras, although their origin remains a mystery.

Penicillin – A revolutionary medicine

Penicillin, when it was discovered and when it became widely available, gave medical professionals a powerful new tool that helped to kickstart a revolution in the fight against infectious disease. Even though Alexander Fleming is widely credited with its discovery in 1928, there were arguably others who got there before him. These include Sir John Scott Burdon-Sanderson and Joseph Lister in the 19^th century.

However, there were issues with making penicillin commercially available in the early days. It was not until Florey and Chain published a paper in 1940 which described a purification technique that this progressed. In 1945, penicillin became available for limited use.

There were problems with this antibiotic that persist to this day, for example, it has a poor bioavailability. Around this time, sulfonamides were also being developed by scientists at Bayer in Germany.

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Microbiology: Current Research