Félix d'Hérelle

Félix d'Hérelle was a Canadian scientist who discovered bacteriophages—viruses that infect and kill specific bacteria. In the 1910s and 1920s, he observed how these viruses naturally targeted harmful bacteria, offering a potential way to treat infections before antibiotics were developed. His work laid the foundation for phage therapy, an alternative treatment for bacterial diseases that is still used today in some parts of the world. D'Hérelle's discovery was crucial for advancing microbiology and has influenced ongoing research into targeted antimicrobial therapies.