Leslie Collier | |
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Born | Leslie Harold Collier 9 February 1921 |
Died | 14 March 2011 London | (aged 90)
Alma mater | Brighton College University College Hospital Medical School in London |
Known for | trachoma virology smallpox vaccine chlamydias infection pathology |
Spouse | Adeline Barnett (1942–?) (1 child) |
Scientific career | |
Institutions | St Helier Hospital, Carshalton the Lister Institute the Vaccines and Sera laboratories at Elstree the University of London the Royal London Hospital the Royal Society of Pathologists the Royal Society of Medicine |
Leslie Harold Collier (9 February 1921 – 14 March 2011) was a scientist responsible for developing a freeze-drying method to produce a more heat stable smallpox vaccine in the late 1940s.[1][2][3][4][5] Collier added a key component, peptone, a soluble protein, to the process. This protected the virus, enabling the production of a heat-stable vaccine in powdered form. Previously, smallpox vaccines would become ineffective after 1–2 days at ambient temperature.
The development of his vaccine production method played a large role in enabling the World Health Organization to initiate its global smallpox eradication campaign in 1967.