Google Russia honours scientist Zinaida Ermolyeva with doodle

Known as ‘Madam Penicillin’, Russian microbiologist and bacterial chemist Zinaida Ermolyeva was a leading light in Russian medicine and a trailblazer for women in science. Today, Google Russia honours the scientist, who, born in the Russian town of Frolovo in 1898, became a crucial member of the Soviet Union’s science elite.

Intrigued by the mould growing on a wall in an air-raid shelter, Ermolyeva tested hundreds of mould cultures leading to the development of a number of treatments for wounded soldiers threatened by infection. Her work led to the mass production of penicillin in the Soviet Union, making the country less reliant on shipments of antibiotics from the West.