The Mould, the Myth and the Microbe
In May 1940, in a blacked-out laboratory, four white mice were rescued from certain death by a substance derived from 'mould juice'. Four years later, 40,000 D-Day casualties were treated with it. Penicillin was a miracle - harmless to people yet lethal to microbes.
A romantic myth has clouded the true story of the development of medicine's first antibiotic. Sir Alexander Fleming became a world hero, often wrongly credited for work he did not do.
Professor Gwyn Macfarlane , FRS, has carefully researched the full story. He concludes that the time has come to extend well-deserved recognition to the men who really brought penicillin to the world.
Narrator Paul Vaughan Film editor PAUL RAPLEY
Horizon editor ROBIN BRIGHTWELL
Written and produced by DAVID DUGAN and OLIVER MORSE