Robert Koch (AQA GCSE History)

How did Robert Koch build upon the work of Louis Pasteur? - Summary

Robert Koch played a crucial role in building upon Louis Pasteur’s Germ Theory by putting it into practical use. While Pasteur had proven that germs cause disease, Koch took this further by identifying the specific bacteria responsible for individual illnesses. In the 1870s and 1880s, he developed methods to isolate, grow, and study bacteria in the lab. Using these techniques, Koch discovered the bacteria that caused tuberculosis and cholera, providing solid evidence to link specific germs to specific diseases. This was a major step forward because it allowed scientists to target diseases with precision rather than guessing at their causes.

Koch’s work also influenced the development of vaccinations. By identifying disease-causing bacteria, it became easier to create vaccines to protect people against those illnesses. Pasteur, in competition with Koch, developed vaccines for diseases like rabies and anthrax. Koch’s discoveries helped guide future research into vaccination and the fight against infectious diseases.

Who was Robert Koch?

• Robert Koch was a German scientist

• Koch was in direct competition with Pasteur, a French scientist

  • Both scientists were investigating anthrax

  • France and Germany were at war in 1870

    • The French and German governments were funding Pasteur and Koch's research during the Franco-Prussian War

What did Koch discover?

• Koch successfully linked germs to disease

  • In 1882, he discovered the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis

  • In 1883, he discovered the cholera bacteria 

  • In 1884, he confirmed water spread the disease

    • John Snow had theorised this nearly 40 years before Koch in his work on cholera but couldn’t prove it

• Koch developed techniques that made microbes easier to see under a microscope:

  • he promoted the use of agar jelly (a substance derived from algae) to grow bacteria

  • he also stained the bacteria in dye

Significance of Koch

• Koch revolutionised bacteriology (the study of bacteria)

• He inspired scientists to continue the hunt for bacteria that caused diseases such as diphtheria (a serious infection in the nose and throat which causes difficulties in breathing and swallowing) and plague

  • This led to these diseases becoming preventable meaning they killed fewer people

• His work supported Edward Jenner's findings about vaccines

• Koch taught Paul Ehrlich, an important scientist who investigated cures for syphilis

• Koch received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1905