John Davenport and Gordon Cragwell offered the Peoria, Illinois pharmaceutical company, Pfizer’s assistance after hearing about penicillin's potential. They began with fermentation experiments that were highly unstable, initial yields were discouragingly low.
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One hot summer day, lab assistant, Mary Hunt, arrived with a cantaloupe covered with a “pretty, golden mold.” The mold was a fungus called penicillium chrysogeum, which yielded 200 times the amount of penicillin as Fleming’s.
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Scientist Jasper Kane suggested producing penicillin using deep-tank fermentation methods. Pfizer invested millions of dollars to buy equipment and facilities to produce penicillin. In 4 months, they produced five times the original amount. Pfizer produced more than half of all penicillin used by the Allies for the rest of the war, saving countless lives.
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