Dr. Nicholas H. Oberlies

• Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Professor, 2015

The Mold in Dr. Florey’s Coat
by Eric Lax

My lab works on drug discovery from fungi. The most famous compound ever discovered from a fungus was penicillin. It has been reported that penicillin likely changed the 20th century more than any other drug. This book tells the story of the chemistry behind the discovery of the compound. If you think drug discovery is hard today, with decreasing dollars for research, then think about what it was like for these scientists, working during the throws of WWII. They made it all work under remarkable odds and distress.