There's Science in the Kitchen-July 2024: Élie Metchnikoff (1845-1916) Pioneer of Probiotic Foods

Abstract

Dear readers, is there anyone who doesn't know Pasteur? If I asked this question, you would surely respond, "Of course we know him." Now, if I asked the same question about Metchnikoff, many of us would probably say we don't know him. So, let me get straight to the point. Elie Metchnikoff (Ilya Mechnikov) was one of Louis Pasteur's closest colleagues. However, his life was quite tumultuous, and perhaps this is why he is not very well-known. He journeyed from Ukraine to Russia, then to Germany, and finally ended his journey in France. In his 71-year life, he experienced two marriages, two suicide attempts, multiple heart attacks, many discoveries, and a Nobel Prize.