In 1901 the first set of Nobel Prize winners were awarded in Chemistry, Physics, and Medicine. Previously, we posted on the first Nobel laureate in chemistry, the father of Physical Chemistry van't Hoff. Today we focus on the inaugural winner in Medicine, Emil von Behring.
Who is this scientist?
von Behring was a German physiologist who focused his research on antitoxins and serum development to combat diseases that impacted children such as diphtheria and tetanus.
Initially, von Behring focused his work on septic diseases in addition to the study of the eye and diseases that affected ophthalmological issues. He was trained in Germany as a military physician and was in the service as a military surgeon in order to pay back many of his dues from the academy.
After his service, von Behring began his research on septic diseases with a focus on developing antitoxins. He found with his colleague, Shibasaburo, that when he injected mammals with diphtheria or tetanus toxins, the animals developed an immunity response to toxins following subsequently being exposed to the toxins. Von Behring stated that this means of generating an immunological response was "serum therapy."
Subsequently, it took von Behring four years to perfect the serum technology for the ultimate benefit of immunological responses in human beings. It took another six years to then be awarded the first Medicine Nobel Prize. Following this win and the established and well-received serum technology, von Behring founded a company three years later to focus on commercializing and mass-producing vaccines and antitoxins.
von Behring demonstrates his abilities in academic research, service to his country, as well as the commercialization and business development of novel technologies. He provided the foundational work on vaccine development which the world benefits to this day.
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