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Minoru Shirota | |
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Born | 代田 稔 (Shirota Minoru) 23 April 1899 Tatsuoka, Nagano, Japan |
Died | 10 March 1982 Tokyo, Japan | (aged 82)
Occupation | Microbiologist |
Known for | Invention of Yakult |
Minoru Shirota (代田 稔, Shirota Minoru, April 23, 1899 – March 10, 1982) was a Japanese microbiologist. In the 1930 Shirota identified a strain of lactic acid bacteria that is part of normal gut flora that he originally called Lactobacillus casei Shirota, which appeared to help contain the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut. The strain was later reclassified as Lactobacillus paracasei Shirota.[1]
He founded the company Yakult Honsha in 1935 to sell beverages containing the strain branded Yakult.[2]
He died in Tokyo, Japan in 1982.[citation needed]