dHérelle

Félix d'Hérelle (also spelled Félix d’Herelle; 1873–1949) was a French-Canadian microbiologist best known for co-discovering bacteriophages and for pioneering phage therapy. Born in Montreal, he pursued medical and scientific training in Europe and became associated with the Pasteur Institute in Paris, where he conducted influential experiments on bacterial parasites.

D'Hérelle observed that certain viruses could specifically infect and lyse bacteria, a discovery that led to the concept of bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria. In 1917 he popularized the term bacteriophage and published work describing how phages could be used to study bacterial populations and their diseases. His experiments showed that phages could reduce bacterial infections in experimental animals and, in some cases, appeared to treat human infections, fueling interest in therapeutic applications.

Phage therapy became a major area of interest in the early 20th century, particularly in France, Germany, and the Soviet Union. D'Hérelle promoted the practical use of phages to combat bacterial pathogens and established laboratories and networks to develop phage preparations. The rise of antibiotics in the 1940s and subsequent Western reluctance to embrace phage therapy led to a decline in its widespread adoption, although research continued in several countries.

Today, the legacy of d'Hérelle endures in the fields of virology and bacteriophage biology. He is remembered as a key figure in identifying bacteriophages and in advocating phage-based approaches to treating bacterial infections, a line of inquiry that has regained interest in the era of antibiotic resistance.