Stamen Grigorov: Google doodle on yogurt doctor & first tuberculosis vaccine developer

Happy Birthday Stamen Grigorov!!!

Google today dedicates a mesmerizing artistic doodle to Stamen Grigorov on his 142^nd birthday. He discovered the Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacillus, which is the true cause for the existence of natural yogurt. He is also remembered for his contribution to the development of the world’s first tuberculosis vaccine.

Stamen Grigorov (Stamen Gigov Grigorov) was a prominent Bulgarian physician and microbiologist. He was born on October 27, 1878 in the village of Studen Izvor, Tran, Pernik Province, Bulgaria. He completed his secondary education in natural sciences in Montpellier, France and medical science in Geneva, Switzerland. Passionate about science from a young age, he went on to earn a doctorate from the Medical University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Dr. Stamen Grigorov made a big discovery at the age of 27 in 1905. He is best known for his discovery of a certain strain of bacillus, which is the true cause for the existence of natural yogurt. He discovered Lactobacillus bulgaricus (later renamed in honor of his home country) at the microbiological laboratory of Professor Léon Massol in Geneva.

Dr. Stamen Grigorov’s discovery of Lactobacillus bulgaricus has a short beautiful story behind. He got married in 1904 at the age of 26. Once his wife gifted him with some Bulgarian culinary staples, including yogurt as a reminder of home. Intrigued by yogurt’s reputed health benefits, Dr. Stamen Grigorov decided to inspect it under a microscope. Following thousands of experiments, in 1905 he finally found what he was looking for: the rod-shaped microorganism that causes yogurt’s fermentation.

Dr. Stamen Grigorov also made a major contribution to the creation of an anti-tuberculosis vaccine (the vaccine is a main work of Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin in the Institut Pasteur de Lille). He clearly demonstrated and elaborated the healing effect of penicillin fungi in the treatment of tuberculosis.

Dr. Stamen Grigorov died at the age of 67 on October 27, 1945. Google today honors him for his big contributions to humanity and modern science.

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