Stock Photo - Mar. 31, 2012 - Jubilee of the Discovery of Penicillin: Sir Alexander Fleming to receive Presentation: This month (June) marks the twenty fifth anniversary of the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming, and a special presentation is planned for him although its exact details have not been revealed yet. The famous, modest bacteriologist of St. Mary's Hospitals continues his everyday work in the laboratories there, although the room in which hos famous work was done, is no more. Full recognition of his discovery come only during the war, wen Sir Howard Florey separated the drug was used from the original penicillin. Sir Alexander and Sir Howard were awarded the Nobel Prize for penicillin in 1945 with Dr Chain, a third collaborator, Sir Alexander, then Professor Fleming, 1928/9 noticed that a staphylococci growing on a culture plate near a window was being destroyed in the region of a speck of mould. On further investigation he found the type, known as penicillium notatum, produced a substance deadly to certain bacteria it proved, however, very unstable. The stabilising was completed by Sir Howard Florey and Dr, Chain. Tens of thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen, as well as civilian all over the world today owe their lives to the healing properties of the drug which is now produced in huge quantities. This is one of a series of pictures showing Sir Alexander Fleming at work in his laboratory and of the manufacture of penicillin today. Sir Alexander Fleming, as he was in the first world war: With his fellow R.A.M.C officers in 1914: this picture hangs today in the Wright Fleming Institute where Sir Alexander Fleming still works. (Credit Image: © Keystone Pictures USA/ZUMAPRESS.com)