Who Discovered Terramycin?

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By Dinshaw Dadachanji
eHow Contributing Writer

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Terramycin is a brand name for oxytetracycline, a member of the family of tetracycline antibiotics. It was first mass-produced by Pfizer. It is classified as a broad-spectrum antibiotic because it can be used to treat a variety of bacterial and rickettsial infections.

Discovery of the first tetracycline

In 1945, Benjamin Minge Duggar discovered the first tetracycline, chlortetracycline (trade name Aureomycin), having isolated it from a soil bacterium called Streptomyces aureofaciens. At the time, Duggar worked under the supervision of Yellapragada Subbarao at Lederle Laboratories.

Discovery of Terramycin

Soon thereafter, A.C. Finlay and coworkers discovered oxytetracycline (trade name Terramycin) in a similar bacterium, Streptomyces rimosus, which was obtained from a soil sample near Pfizer laboratories.

Determination of chemical structure

In 1950, Harvard Professor Robert Woodward determined the chemical structure of Terramycin. Based on this knowledge, Pfizer began mass production of this antibiotic.

Synthesis of Tetracycline

In 1952, Lloyd Conover and his research team at Pfizer, in collaboration with Robert Woodward, produced tetracycline by chemical synthesis.

Mechanism of action

Terramycin, and the related tetracycline antibiotics, inhibit the synthesis of proteins in bacteria and other microbes, thereby preventing their growth and multiplication.

Uses

Terramycin and other tetracyclines may be used for the treatment of various illnesses and conditions, including acne, cholera, Lyme disease, plague, tularemia, and typhus, and infections by chlamydia and rickettsia.