The Discovery of Streptomycin Opens a New Chapter in the Fight Against Tuberculosis

On October 19, 1943, a discovery at Rutgers University in New Jersey opened a promising new path in medicine. Graduate student Albert Schatz, working in the laboratory of microbiologist Selman Waksman, identified streptomycin. It would become the first antibiotic effective in treating tuberculosis, a disease that had devastated families and communities for generations.

Searching for Medicines in Microbes

The discovery grew out of a systematic research programme investigating microorganisms and the substances they produced. Waksman’s team was searching for compounds capable of stopping harmful bacteria.

Schatz identified strains of Streptomyces griseus that produced the new antibiotic. Particularly significant was its activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis. This offered a possibility that penicillin had not provided: an effective antibiotic approach to the disease.

From a Laboratory Finding to Treatment

The first scientific report announcing streptomycin appeared in 1944, with Albert Schatz, Elizabeth Bugie and Selman Waksman listed as its authors. Bugie contributed to the research and testing that helped establish the antibiotic’s importance.

Turning the discovery into a medicine required further work. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic investigated its effects in animals and patients, while pharmaceutical production had to expand to supply sufficient quantities. The laboratory breakthrough was the beginning of a wider effort involving microbiologists, physicians and manufacturers.

Recognition and a Lasting Legacy

In 1952, Waksman received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of streptomycin. The award went to him alone, and the recognition given to Schatz became the subject of a lasting controversy.

The history of streptomycin therefore tells two connected stories: a major advance against a deadly infection, and the importance of recognising the contributions behind scientific discoveries. Its discovery demonstrated how the study of microorganisms could lead to medicines with an extraordinary impact on human health.