by First Year Chemistry Student Rachel Morrison Jesus College, Images and Models by Karl Harrison

Lloyd H. Conover invented the antibiotic tetracycline, which became the most prescribed broad spectrum antibiotic in the United States within three years and remains the drug of choice for a number of serious bacterial infections.

Tetracycline was the first therapeutically superior drug to be made by chemical alteration of an antibiotic produced by microbial metabolism. It sparked a wide-scale search for superior structurally modified antibiotics, which has provided most of the important antibiotic discoveries made since then.

Tetracycline is prescribed for many different infections particularly respiratory tract infections due to Hemophilus influenza, Streptococcus pneumonia or Mycoplasma pneumonia. It is also used for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, chancroid, cholera, brucellosis, anthrax, syphilis and acne.

Tetracycline should be taken at least one hour before or two hours after meals to prevent it binding to food resulting in reduced absorbtion. It is recommended that aluminium, magnesium, or calcium based antacids should not be taken at the same time as tetracycline. Similarly dairy products should be avoided.

Tetracycline is usually well tolerated. The most common side effects are diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting. Tetracycline can cause discolouration of the teeth in patients under eight years old.