Friedrich Augustus Loeffler (1852-1915), one of the foremost golden-era bacteriologists, received his MD in Berlin (1874). From 1879 to 1884 he worked as assistant to Koch at the Imperial Health Office, also in Berlin. He also worked as a physician at the Friedrich Wilhelm Institute, and in 1888 became Professor of Bacteriology at the University of Greifswald.
Loeffler introduced special stains (now known as "Loeffler stains") and a special serum (Loeffler's serum) for detecting the bacteria that cause diptheria. In 1887 he founded the journal Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie und Parasitik. His 1884 publication about the cause of diphtheria led to the antitoxin treatment of 1890. (See Behring.)
There is a Friedrich Loeffler Institute near Greifswald.
Created 25 January 2017
Last modified 16 February 2023