Modern Drug Discovery
How penicillin was found and turned into a life-saving drug: the discovery by Fleming, the development and mass production by Florey and Chain, the rise of the pharmaceutical industry, and the modern problem of antibiotic resistance.
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Free interactive practice at using the material, which is what the marks are for.
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The mould that changed medicine
A drug that could kill the bacteria inside a patient once seemed impossible. Then a chance observation of a mould, and years of hard work to turn it into a usable medicine, gave the world penicillin. This module works through how penicillin was discovered and developed, how the drug industry grew, and why we now worry about antibiotic resistance.
Drug words to know
Learn these before you trace the story.
Discovery against development
Penicillin needed two very different stages, and two different sets of people.
Split the story, name the war factor
In the exam, split the penicillin story into two stages and give each person their credit. One scientist spotted by chance that a mould was wiping out the germs on a dish but could take it no further. Others later purified the drug, proved it healed patients, and set up mass production when wartime demand pushed governments to fund it. That is why war counts as a factor here. Then remember the modern worry: using antibiotics too freely lets bacteria fight back.
Match the term
- penicillin
- Alexander Fleming
- Florey and Chain
- antibiotic resistance
- the first antibiotic drug
- noticed a mould that stopped germs growing
- developed penicillin for mass use
- when a drug stops working on bacteria
Match the detail
- the mouldy dish seen in 1928
- the demand of the Second World War
- the pharmaceutical industry
- using antibiotics too often
- the mould had destroyed the germs around it
- pushed the mass production of the drug
- researches and makes medicines in bulk
- helps resistant bacteria spread
Who noticed the mould?
Who first noticed that a mould could stop bacteria growing?
- Alexander Fleming
- Florey and Chain
- Edward Jenner
- Louis Pasteur
True about penicillin
Select the TWO true statements about penicillin.
- Florey and Chain developed penicillin so it could be mass-produced
- The Second World War increased the demand for penicillin
- Fleming was able to mass-produce penicillin by himself
- Antibiotic resistance means antibiotics work better over time
Total the course
A patient is prescribed 4 penicillin tablets a day for 7 days. Multiply the daily number by the number of days to find the total tablets in the whole course. What is the answer?
Order the penicillin story
Put the stages of the penicillin story in order, earliest first.
- Fleming notices a mould stopping germs in 1928
- He publishes his findings but cannot develop the drug
- Florey and Chain purify penicillin in the 1940s
- Wartime demand drives its mass production
Complete the story
The first antibiotic drug was _____. It was first noticed by Alexander _____ when a mould stopped germs growing. Later, Florey and _____ developed it for mass use. When bacteria change so a drug no longer kills them, this is antibiotic _____.
Spot what enabled mass production
Tap the TWO things that helped penicillin become a mass-produced drug.
- the work of Florey and Chain to purify it
- the demand created by the Second World War
- Fleming mass-producing it in his own lab
- the banning of all other medicines
Name who or what
Read each case and choose the best answer.
- A scientist notices by chance that a mould has stopped the germs on a dish, but cannot turn it into a usable drug. Who is this?
- During the war, a team purifies penicillin and organises factories to make it in bulk. Who is this?
- Doctors warn that using antibiotics too often is making some bacteria impossible to kill. What is this problem called?
Explain the penicillin story
Explain how penicillin was discovered and developed, and why war was an important factor.
- Explain the discovery by Fleming and its limits
- Explain how Florey and Chain developed penicillin
- Explain why the Second World War helped and what antibiotic resistance is