Friedrich Löffler

Löffler, Friedrich (1852–1915), German bacteriologist who co-discovered the diphtheria bacillus in 1884. Loffler found a way to cultivate the bacillus and perfected a staining method by which it could be carefully observed under a microscope. His demonstration that some animals are immune to diphtheria influenced Emil von Behring in the development of a diphtheria antitoxin. Loffler is also credited, along with Paul Frosch, for discovering that foot-and-mouth disease is viral and for developing a serum against it.