At Strasbourg, Pasteur achieved honors as well as prizes and used the money in developing his laboratory. Louis’ early success was at the age of 26. He presented a paper before the Paris Academy of Sciences on the Optical activity of Stereoisomers.

In 1854, he became Professor of Chemistry and Dean of Sciences at the University of Lille. Until then, he had been a theoretical scientist, but now it was time to involve deeply into research. There he initiated a highly modern educational concept. He organized evening classes for many a young industrial labor. He demonstrated the first time, relationship between academy and industry – a concept, which is a bye-word of the present time. When academics and industry work in unison, the benefits are manifold in technological and qualitative terms. The above arrangement reveals the foresight of a great technopreneur of those days.

At Lille, he met an industrialist, Monsieur Bigo. His meeting with Bigo inspired him to study the process of fermentation. In 1857, he published a paper on fermentation, which was the beginning of a new field of science, Microbiology, and a new process called Pasteurization. Although he continued his researches and equipped his laboratory with the money from the family budget, his wife never complained. All her life she showed her unshakable faith in Louis.

The experiments led Pasteur to establish the new science of BACTERIOLOGY. He suggested the new theory – The Germ Theory of Disease.

In 1865, a disease that was destroying the silkworms threatened the silk industry in France. The French government commissioned Louis to solve the problem. In those days, silk industry was a major contributor to France’s economy. Louis took up the challenge and isolated the disease causing bacilli of two distinct diseases: Pebrine and Flacherie. He worked out techniques for improving hygiene in the silkworm nurseries and thus saved the silkworm industry from catastrophe. During this period, he lost his father, and his two daughters named Camille and Cecile, in a short span of three years. These tragedies resulted in cerebral hemorrhage for Louis, in the prime of his life. He was 46 then; and though his left arm and leg were paralyzed forever, his morale was unshattered and he continued his research works indefatigably.

As he was afraid of dying prematurely without completing his research, he sent an urgent note to his wife and told his colleague, "I have so much still to do! There’s a whole world to be discovered."

He further worked on Anthrax and Chicken Cholera.

He voluntarily retired from the post of Director of University in 1867. In 1873, he was elected member of the Academy of Medicine and the next year, in recognition of his contribution, the French Parliament provided him with financial security so as to ensure his research continuity. In 1881, Louis succeeded in perfecting the technique of reducing the virulence of various diseases producing microorganisms.

On April 27, 1882, Louis was elected to the French Academy and sat among the ‘Immortals’ – the 40 famous Frenchmen, the most distinguished in Letters and Science. He also attained the highest rank in Napoleon’s Order of Merit, the Grand Cross of Legion of Honor. After receiving honors from 36 governments all over the world, he was recognized as one of the greatest benefactors of mankind.

The last major research project of the master scientist was on rabies. His health then started deteriorating. He suffered a serious attack of paralysis in his 46^th year that prevented him from working further. The memorable day for Louis was July 6, 1885, when he saved the life of a nine-year-old boy, Joseph Meister, who had been bitten by a rabid dog. That experiment was a grand success, which paved the way for saving invaluable lives from the dreaded disease.

Louis established a huge research institute – the Pasteur Institute, along with his friends and colleagues, in 1888.

His eventful life ended on September 28, 1895 at the age of 73. The French Government buried ‘The National Hero’ at Saint Cloud, near Paris.