Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch, German physician and microbiologist, was one of the main founders of modern bacteriology, who identified the specific causative agents of tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax. He also gave experimental support for the concept of infectious disease, which included experiments on humans and other animals. Koch created and improved laboratory technologies and techniques in the field of microbiology, and made key discoveries in public health.
His research led to the creation of Koch’s postulates, a series of four generalised principles linking specific microorganisms to specific diseases that proved influential on subsequent epidemiological principles such as the Bradford Hill criteria. For his research on tuberculosis, Koch received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1905. The Robert Koch Institute and the Robert Koch Foundation are named in his honour.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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