The world of microbes
came to life in the last quarter of the 19th century under the inquisitive
eyes of European and American investigators. A science of bacteriology
emerged, making it possible to diagnose centuries-old diseases. To bacteriology
and its sister parasitology, virology, immunology and mycology joined
the ranks of disciplines eventually known as microbiology. At the University
of Pennsylvania, home of the nation's first medical school (opened in
1765), the science of microbiology immediately melded with practical clinical
applications. First within the confines of a modest hospital laboratory
and a pathology department, next in the Laboratory of Hygiene and finally
in the William Pepper Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, clinical microbiology
came into its own. And in the tradition of this medical institution, Penn
clinical microbiologists pioneered research, supported first-rate patient
care and educated generations to carry on their work, a mission that continues
today.
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