Waksman focused his research on the study of agents that kill microorganisms. He coined the term " antibiotic" and discovered streptomycin, which was the first effective treatment for tuberculosis.

Born in Priluki, Russia, Waksman emigrated to the United States after graduating from high school. He earned his graduate degree at Rutgers University and continued his studies at University of California, returning to Rutgers as a member of the faculty. Waksman specialized in the study of soil-living microorganisms. One of his students, René Jules Dubos (1901-1981), noticed that a number of antibacterial substances could be found in soil. One of these substances, gramicidin, was found to be active against pneumonia, but it was too toxic to use in humans. Dubos's work inspired Waksman to turn to the search for such antibacterial substances.

In the following decades, he found and tested dozens of antibiotics. One of them, actinomycin A, was...