CELEBRATION OF ALEXANDER FLEMING'S DISCOVERY OF PENICILLIN
Published 27 Oct 2009 12:49
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Eighty years ago this year, Sir Alexander Fleming published the medical paper that confirmed the discovery of Penicillin.
To celebrate this son of Darvel's achievements Des Browne MP, East Ayrshire Council and the Darvel Improvement Group, in partnership with the Society for General Microbiology have invited the world leading microbiologist, Professor Hugh Pennington to deliver a memorial lecture in Darvel Town Hall. The lecture will take place on Friday 13 November 2009 at 10.00am.
Mainly the audience will be made up of secondary school students from throughout East Ayrshire, but a very limited number of tickets have been secured for Darvel and Valley residents and others from further a field who may be interested. These tickets are free and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
Tickets will be available from Noon 2 November 2009
* If you live in Darvel or the Irvine Valley the tickets will be offered through the normal valley distribution outlet Walker & Connell's shop at Hastings Square, Darvel
* For those whose postcode is further a field, please contact Des Browne MP's office in the Parliamentary Advice Centre, 32 Grange Street, Kilmarnock KA1 2DD, telephone 01563 520 267
Please do not take a ticket unless you intend to use it as spaces are limited
Des Browne MP said: "Many claim that Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin was luck. This discovery, however, became one of the most significant developments in medical history. I am looking forward to being able to celebrate Fleming's world changing achievement in our local community where he was born. In the presence of such a an eminent present day bacteriologist there is no way that this Friday the 13th will be unlucky."
The Chief Executive of the Society for General Microbiology, Ron Fraser, said: "We are delighted to be sponsoring Professor Hugh Pennington's public lecture in Darvel to mark the 80th anniversary of the publication by Sir Alexander Fleming of his discovery of penicillin. Sir Alexander was the very first President of the Society when it was founded in 1945. It is very fitting that Professor Pennington, who is not only a world-renowned expert on infectious disease today but also a former President of the Society for General Microbiology, should pay tribute to this illustrious Scotsman's achievement in the town of his birth.
"The Society is also pleased to be sponsoring trophies that will be presented to representatives from Kilmarnock Academy and Loudoun Academy by Professor Pennington. The cups will be awarded annually in each school to the student judged to have excelled in bioscience."
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