It is hard to refute the intelligence of the exceptional pioneers who made such significant contributions to our civilization. Stamen Grigorov, a pioneer in pharmacy, used the gift he got from his wife in 1904 to make a significant discovery. Yogurt, a culinary specialty of Bulgaria, was the present. The researcher decided to do tests with the sample till he discovered what he was looking for since he liked the taste. He discovered that a rod-shaped bacterium was involved in the fermentation of the yoghurt. As a tribute to Grigorov’s homeland, the bacteria were ultimately named Lactobacillus bulgaricus.
After sharing his most recent finding with the public, Grigorov showed how penicillin fungus may be used to treat the fatal illness tuberculosis. He released a paper in 1906 detailing his important tests for curing TB and worked on the subject up until his passing. His 142nd birthday was celebrated on October 27, 2020, with a Google Doodle in honor of the man who used experimentation to save many lives.
Who was Stamen Grigorov?
Stamen Grigorov is the man who found that yogurt was made by a rod-shaped bacterium which was later named Lactobacillus Bulgaricus. He was the one who found the tuberculosis vaccine through in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. Apart from the discoveries made, Grigorov served Bulgaria’s military during the Balkan War and World War I as a physician. He helped soldiers by controlling the cholera outbreak. Since childhood, Grigorov was passionate about science and experiments and thus, he studied medicine and earned a PhD from the Medical University of Geneva, Switzerland. Stamen Grigorov went to the university after his wedding in 1904, and worked as a research assistant to a department head.
A brief history of the Bulgarian Culinary yogurt
There won’t be many people on the earth who have not tasted yogurt. But, do you know that yogurt originally belongs to Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountain range? Many centuries ago, the indigenous population of Bulgaria made yogurt by souring milk using all the stuff that came from nature like sticks from ant hills, tree bark, and tree blossoms or by leaving the milk out to ferment itself. Every time, the end result was great as Lactobacillus bulgaricus helped in transforming the milk into yogurt.
According to the Bulgarian indigenous tribe Thracian, the word ‘yoga’ means thick and ‘urt’ means milk thus, the yogurt name appeared. The Bulgarians, like their ancestors believe that eating yogurt can benefit our health in many ways. With Stamen Grigorov’s discovery, companies started producing and exporting yogurt to nearby countries and slowly, its popularity grew in the 19th and 20th centuries.
A well-known scientist named Ilya Metchnikoff found that Bulgarians who consumed yogurt lived more than the people who did not. This means yogurt has anti-aging properties due to the proteolytic microbes that prevent the aging of the bowels. Yogurt products containing Lactobacillus bulgaricus are viewed as nutritional products in today’s market as are bacterium tablets.
How did Stamen Grigorov discover Lactobacillus bulgaricus?
The finding of Lactobacillus bulgaricus is exciting, as is any remarkable discovery. Yet, a lot of individuals think that the finding was more accidental than deliberate. Grigorov discovered the rod-shaped bacteria that ferment milk to create yoghurt when he was just 27 years old. He conducted numerous trials before making his breakthrough in 1905, and the bacteria were given his native nation of Bulgaria as its name.
Google claims that when Stamen Grigorov left for his job as a research assistant at the Medical University of Geneva, his wife packed him some food and yoghurt. Working at one of the nation’s most prestigious research colleges, Stamen Grigorov discovered yogurt’s health benefits using a microscope. He conducted a number of tests to determine the factors that caused the milk to ferment into yoghurt since he was more interested to know the yogurt’s therapeutic properties. Before discovering the bacterium in 1905, Grigorov conducted several tests for more than a year.
Stamen Grigorov’s contribution to the first tuberculosis vaccine
Stamen Grigorov continued his research on tuberculosis while holding the position of a head physicist at a small hospital in his hometown after making the Lactobacillus bacteria discovery. Stamen Grigorov published a report in 1906 that illustrated how penicillin fungi could cure TB within a year after his early discovery. However, Grigorov received no recognition for his effort at that time since his native Bulgaria lacked the resources to fund his research.
On 27th October 2020, Google Doodle celebrated his 142nd birthday by showing a logo with having cartoon sketch of Grigorov. He sits on the floor wearing an apron and holding a spoon full of yogurt. Grigorov is shown surrounded by bowls of yogurt, fruits and vegetables along with moving animations that seem to be his workplace.