Did you know that the microbes responsible for diphtheria and whooping cough were discovered by a Belgian?

27/06/2016

Indeed, it was Jules Bordet, an immunologist and microbiologist who established the role of antibodies and discovered the microbes responsible for diphtheria and whooping cough. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1919 for his discoveries relating to immunity.  A pioneer in microbiology, Jules Bordet was also the first Belgian scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology.

He was also the liberal senator for Hainaut and campaigned during the Inter-War period to promote Wallonia and French-speaking Belgium.