Streptomyces griseus

     Streptomyces griseus is a bacterium commonly found in the soil. It produces a substance (antibiotic) called streptomycin. In 1939 Albert Schatz, a graduate student working under Selman Abraham Waksman at Rutgers University, was working on antibiotic substances found in soil and discovered Gramicidin which proved to be too toxic for human use. Waksman, a Russian born, Jewish microbiologist, was inspired by his graduate student’s discovery and with funding from Merck Pharmaceutical Company began researching antibacterial substances found in soil

     By 1958 Waksman had discovered 18 such drugs of which the most famous was streptomycin (1944). Sulfa, the 1st antibiotic, was discovered in the early 1930’s and Penicillin, the 2nd antibiotic, in the late 1930’s. Neither Sulfa nor Penicillin was effective in treating tuberculosis, a disease affecting millions of people worldwide.

     Stretpomycin revolutionized medicine and saved the lives of countless tuberculosis patients. Prior to the use of Streptomycin, TB patients were isolated in what were called T.B. Sanatoriums where the primary treatment was rest and nutritious food- which didn’t cure the disease but occasionally patients would go into remission. Today you may encounter these old facilities while driving across the country.

     Waksman coined the term “antibiotic” and in 1952 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. The royalties from the patents given to Waksman and Rutergers have generated enormous profits for Rutgers research. Today Streptomycin is used in combination with other antibiotics for the treatment of not only TB but also brucellosis, certain types of endocarditis, plague, and tularemia.

Robert L. Groves, M.D.

Internal Medicine

Capital Medical Clinic