<P> Major contributions to the science of microbiology have spanned the time from the 17th century to the present day . The following is a list of prominent microbiologists who have made significant contributions to the study of microorganisms . Many of those listed have received a Nobel prize for their contributions to the field of microbiology . The others are typically considered historical figures whose work in microbiology had a notable impact in the field . Those microbiologists who currently work in the field have been excluded unless they have received recognition beyond that of being on the faculty in a college or university . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Microbiologist </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Contribution summary </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 36BC </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Marcus Terentius Varro </Td> <Td> Roman </Td> <Td> earliest proposal of the germ theory . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1670s </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Antonie van Leeuwenhoek </Td> <Td> Dutch Republic (modern - day Netherlands) </Td> <Td> Often considered to be the first acknowledged microscopist and microbiologist . Van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe and experiment with microscopic organisms (animalcules), using simple single - lensed microscopes of his own design . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1860 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ignaz Semmelweis </Td> <Td> Hungarian </Td> <Td> developed statistical analysis that demonstrated that rigorous hand - washing techniques and rules in the maternity ward significantly reduced the mortality of women giving birth in the hospital setting . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1884 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Hans Christian Gram </Td> <Td> Denmark </Td> <Td> Developed the gram - staining technique that is used to identify and classify bacteria . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1898 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Kiyoshi Shiga </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> isolated a cause of bacterial dysentery . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1880 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Charles Lavaran </Td> <Td> France </Td> <Td> discovered malaria is caused by a protozoan . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1951 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Max Theiler </Td> <Td> South Africa </Td> <Td> Received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine "for his discoveries concerning yellow fever and how to combat it" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1870 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Joseph Lister </Td> <Td> Scotland </Td> <Td> created and applied aseptic surgical technique . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1765 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Lazzaro Spallanzani </Td> <Td> Italian </Td> <Td> proved that bacteria did not arise due to spontaneous generation by developing a sealed, sterile broth medium . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1901 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Emil Adolf von Behring </Td> <Td> Germany </Td> <Td> The Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine "for his work on serum therapy, especially its application against diphtheria, by which he has opened a new road in the domain of medical science and thereby placed in the hands of the physician a victorious weapon against illness and deaths" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1861 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Louis Pasteur </Td> <Td> French </Td> <Td> developed the germ theory of disease, identified yeast as the responsible agent in fermentation, developed pasteurization, proved that bacteria do not arise spontaneously, trained other microbiologists . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1884 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Fanny Hesse </Td> <Td> German </Td> <Td> Discovered the use of agar agar that is used in bacterial culturing . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1796 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Edward Jenner </Td> <Td> English </Td> <Td> discovered and applied vaccination techniques against smallpox . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1952 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Selman Abraham Waksman </Td> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> received the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for the identification of streptomycin; an antibiotic effective against tuberculosis" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1902 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Sir Ronald Ross </Td> <Td> United Kingdom India </Td> <Td> The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his work on malaria, by which he has shown how it enters the organism and thereby has laid the foundation for successful research on this disease and methods of combating it" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1905 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Robert Koch </Td> <Td> Germany </Td> <Td> The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his investigations and discoveries in relation to tuberculosis" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1907 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran </Td> <Td> France </Td> <Td> The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "in recognition of his work on the role played by protozoa in causing diseases" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1927 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Julius Wagner - Jauregg </Td> <Td> Austria </Td> <Td> The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his discovery of the therapeutic value of malaria inoculation in the treatment of dementia paralytica" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1928 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Charles Jules Henri Nicolle </Td> <Td> France </Td> <Td> "The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on typhus" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1939 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Gerhard Domagk </Td> <Td> Germany </Td> <Td> The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the discovery of the antibacterial effects of prontosil" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1945 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Sir Alexander Fleming </Td> <Td> United Kingdom </Td> <Td> The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases" </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Sir Ernst Boris Chain </Td> <Td> United Kingdom </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Howard Walter Florey </Td> <Td> Australia </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Microbiologist </Th> <Th> Country </Th> <Th> Contribution summary </Th> </Tr>

Name at least 4 famous microbiologists and their contributions
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