Pathology and industrial research
Domagk’s medical education was interrupted by military service during the First World War. After completing his studies, he worked in pathological anatomy at Greifswald and Münster and undertook antibacterial research in industrial laboratories at Wuppertal.
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Experiments with Prontosil
In 1932 Domagk and colleagues demonstrated in animals that the red dye compound Prontosil could counter certain bacterial infections. Publication in 1935 encouraged further screening and clinical investigation of sulfonamides, an important route in early synthetic antibacterial chemotherapy.
An obstructed Nobel award
The 1939 Nobel Prize recognized Domagk’s discovery of Prontosil’s antibacterial effects. Nazi authorities forced him to decline the award; he later received its medal and diploma. He subsequently continued investigating chemotherapy against tuberculosis.