Dr.Barry Marshall , a National Health Medical Research Council Senior Principal Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia honored Noble prize for the discovery of Helicobacter pylori. H.pylori which is responsible for gastitis and peptic ulcer.

Barry Marshall was well known for self experiments as he was keen interested in reading John Hunter s self infection with gonorrhoea and syphilis. He had no animal model to prove H pylori was a pathogen so he underwent a self experiment by drinking a brew which was a suspension of two culture plates. After five days he had bad breath, bloating and fullness after the evening meal.Then he examined through endoscopy which finally proved Gastritis by H.pylori.

He was on antibiotics which was forced by his wife to take.Then he was slowly cured by antibiotics.This experiment changed the minset and brought Noble prize for Marshall and Robert Warren in 2005.

Reference

Helocobacter pylori:A Noble pursuit?

by Barry Marshall and Paul C Adams (PMCID:PMC2661189)