How Andrew Moyer Learned to Mass-Produce Penicillin
This 1948 patent details a method for growing the mold Penicillium in large vats using a corn steep liquor medium, which enabled the mass production of life-saving antibiotics.
Original patent title: “Method for production of penicillin”
This 1948 patent details a method for growing the mold Penicillium in large vats using a corn steep liquor medium, which enabled the mass production of life-saving antibiotics. Granted to US Department of Agriculture USDA in 1948 with 13 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a method for increasing the yield of penicillin by using a specific culture medium containing corn steep liquor and lactose. By submerged fermentation in aerated tanks, the mold Penicillium chrysogenum produces significantly higher concentrations of the antibiotic than previous surface-growth methods. This process allowed the transition from slow, small-scale laboratory production to industrial-scale manufacturing.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover the discovery of penicillin itself
- Does not cover the medical application or dosage of penicillin
- Does not cover synthetic methods for creating penicillin-like compounds
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation was the use of corn steep liquor as a nutrient-rich base for the mold, which acted as a catalyst to drastically boost the production of the antibiotic during fermentation.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Industrial fermentation tanks for pharmaceutical production
Large-scale antibiotic manufacturing facilities
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This invention was critical for scaling up penicillin production during and after World War II. It transformed a rare, expensive laboratory curiosity into a widely available medicine, effectively launching the modern antibiotic era.
Filed
May 11, 1945
Granted
May 25, 1948
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Merck built their early antibiotic manufacturing capabilities on the foundation of this submerged fermentation process. Today, the principles of large-scale bioreactor fermentation remain the standard for producing complex biological drugs.
Market impact
This patent enabled the rapid commercialization of antibiotics, saving millions of lives and creating the modern pharmaceutical industry. It shifted the focus of medicine toward mass-produced, standardized chemical treatments for infectious diseases.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a method for increasing the yield of penicillin by using a specific culture medium containing corn steep liquor and lactose. By submerged fermentation in aerated tanks, the mold Penicillium chrysogenum produces significantly higher concentrations of the antibiotic than previous surface-growth methods. This process allowed the transition from slow, small-scale laboratory production to industrial-scale manufacturing.
The clever bit
The innovation was the use of corn steep liquor as a nutrient-rich base for the mold, which acted as a catalyst to drastically boost the production of the antibiotic during fermentation.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover the discovery of penicillin itself
- Does not cover the medical application or dosage of penicillin
- Does not cover synthetic methods for creating penicillin-like compounds
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
23/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$8K – $25K
Midpoint $15K · expired or expiring · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Moyer, A. J. (1948). How Andrew Moyer Learned to Mass-Produce Penicillin (U.S. Patent No. 2,442,141). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2442141/vitamin-b12-isolation
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Andrew Moyer Learned to Mass-Produce Penicillin cover?
This 1948 patent details a method for growing the mold Penicillium in large vats using a corn steep liquor medium, which enabled the mass production of life-saving antibiotics.
Who owns patent US 2442141?
US Department of Agriculture USDA owns this patent, granted in 1948.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 2442141 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 13 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This invention was critical for scaling up penicillin production during and after World War II. It transformed a rare, expensive laboratory curiosity into a widely available medicine, effectively launching the modern antibiotic era.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover the discovery of penicillin itself
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