Definition

Proper noun * Robert Koch: A German physician and pioneering microbiologist. He is renowned for establishing the fundamental principles linking specific microorganisms to specific diseases (Koch's postulates) and for his groundbreaking work in isolating the causative bacteria of several major infectious diseases.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun:
  • Robert Koch is considered one of the founders of modern bacteriology.
  • The discovery of the tuberculosis bacillus by Koch was a monumental achievement in medicine.
  • Koch's postulates remain a cornerstone of epidemiological methodology.

Advanced Usage

• "Koch's postulates": A set of four criteria designed to establish a causal relationship between a microbe and a disease. This is a standard term in microbiology and medicine.
  • The researcher applied Koch's postulates to confirm the new virus was the pathogen.

Variants and Related Words

• Kochian (adj): Pertaining to or characteristic of the work or methods of Robert Koch.
  • The study followed a Kochian approach to isolate the pathogen.

Synonyms

• The Father of Clinical Microbiology (an honorary title).
• Bacteriologist (describes his profession, though this is a general term).

Related Phrases

• Koch phenomenon: A specific immune reaction related to tuberculosis.
  • The patient's test result indicated a Koch phenomenon.
• Koch-Weeks bacillus: An older term for , a bacterium associated with conjunctivitis.

Noun

1. German bacteriologist who isolated the anthrax bacillus and the tubercle bacillus and the cholera bacillus (1843-1910)