1870-1961

Belgian microbiologist known for his discovery of immune factors in blood and for the bacterium that causes whooping cough. Born in Soignies, Belgium, he studied and conducted research at the Pasteur Institute, Paris. In 1885 he found that the bacterial wall will rupture if exposed to a heat-stable antibody and a heat-sensitive complement. He founded the Pasteur Institute in Brussels and along with Octave Gengou developed tests for typhoid, tuberculosis, and syphilis. He received a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 1919.