2019-12-10 Tue

Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch was a German physician and microbiologist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering the causative agents of infectious diseases. As one of the main founders of modern bacteriology, he identified the specific causative agents of tuberculosis, cholera, and anthrax and gave experimental support for the concept of infectious disease.

Koch created and improved laboratory technologies and techniques in the field of microbiology, and made key discoveries in public health. His research led to the creation of Koch's postulates, a series of four generalized principles linking specific micro-organisms to specific diseases that remain today the "gold standard" in medical microbiology. Koch received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1905 for his research on tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious illness affecting the tissues especially in the lungs. Robert Koch, who had conducted a range of important studies on illnesses caused by microorganisms, discovered and described the TB bacterium in 1882.

Furthering his research with microbiology, in 1883, Koch travelled to Egypt and India to investigate the causes of cholera and discovered the cholera bacillus. He tracked its transmission by way of polluted water and pointed out that it could be controlled by keeping drinking water clean.

Recipient of many accolades and honours, Koch was awarded The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1905. By his achievements in this field, Koch may be considered to be the father of the scientific study of tuberculosis. On the occasion of the centenary of Koch's discovery of the tubercle bacillus, India Post issued a 35 Paise commemorative postage stamp. We pay tribute to the father of the modern scientific approach to the management of tuberculosis!

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