Pasteur Chamberland filter, early 20th century

Courtesy National Museum of American History

Bacterial filters were an essential tool for securing a supply of uncontaminated water and for purifying products in industrial applications. This porcelain filter, developed in Pasteur’s laboratory, had tiny pores that allowed fluids to pass through while holding back bacteria and other microorganisms.

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Pasteur Chamberland filter, early 20th century

Courtesy National Museum of American History

Bacterial filters were an essential tool for securing a supply of uncontaminated water and for purifying products in industrial applications. This porcelain filter, developed in Pasteur’s laboratory, had tiny pores that allowed fluids to pass through while holding back bacteria and other microorganisms.

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“Section and elevation of Chamberland’s filter” from Microbes, Ferments and Moulds, Edouard Louis Trouessart, 1891

Courtesy National Library of Medicine

Bacterial filters were an essential tool for securing a supply of uncontaminated water and for purifying products in industrial applications. This porcelain filter, developed in Pasteur’s laboratory, had tiny pores that allowed fluids to pass through while holding back bacteria and other microorganisms.

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