In my first publication I might have claimed that I had come to the conclusion, as a result of serious study of the literature and deep thought, that…

- Alexander Fleming

Penicillin sat on a shelf for ten years while I was called a quack.

- Alexander Fleming

It is the lone worker who makes the first advance in a subject: the details may be worked out by a team, but the prime idea is due to the enterprise,…

- Alexander Fleming

One sometimes finds what one is not looking for.

- Alexander Fleming

(The discovery of penicillin) was a triumph of accident, a fortunate occurrence which happened while I was working on a purely academic bacteriologic…

- Alexander Fleming

Nature makes penicillin; I just found it.

- Alexander Fleming

If penicillin can cure those that are ill, Spanish sherry can bring the dead back to life.

- Alexander Fleming

I play with microbes. There are, of course, many rules to this play...but when you have acquired knowledge and experience it is very pleasant to brea…

- Alexander Fleming

Penicillin cures, but wine makes people happy.

- Alexander Fleming