Vol. 41 No. 2 (2024): April
Historic Note

A forgotten father of Microbiology

Carlos G. Osorio A.
Universidad de Chile

Published 2024-07-17

How to Cite

1.
Osorio A. CG. A forgotten father of Microbiology. Rev. Chilena. Infectol. [Internet]. 2024 Jul. 17 [cited 2026 May 3];41(2). Available from: https://revinf.cl/index.php/revinf/article/view/2024000200301

Abstract

The French microscopist Louis Joblot (1645-1723), a contem-porary of Antoine van Leeuwenhoek and Robert Hooke, he can be considered one of the fathers of protistology/microbiology. His work entitled “Descriptions and uses of various new microscopes” of 1718 contains several extraordinary images of protozoa in motion and in binary division. Unfortunately, some images of this work contained fantastic figures, so his legacy was quickly obscured. His experiments on the phenomenon of spontaneous generation marked a milestone in the development of this debate and anticipated Louis Pasteur’s experiments by almost a century and a half.