Emil von Behring

Emil von Behring (1854-1917), was a groundbreaking German physiologist who became a savior of millions of children and the winner of the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901. Working alongside Kitasato Shibasaburo, Behring discovered that the body produces specific substances to fight off toxins, which he termed "antitoxins". Using this discovery, he successfully developed effective serums against diphtheria - then a leading, terrifying cause of childhood mortality - and tetanus. His revolutionary work earned him the popular title "savior of children" and established the vital medical field of serum therapy. Behring’s research demonstrated that immunity could be transferred between organisms, fundamentally altering how science understood and treated infectious diseases. His entrepreneurial spirit later led him to found a company dedicated to mass-producing life-saving vaccines, leaving an enduring legacy in public health and immunology.