The Chemical Legacy of Louis Pasteur (opens in new tab)

Louis Pasteur is buried in an elaborate mausoleum at the Institute Pasteur in Paris where mosaic tiles on the tomb commemorate various aspects of the great man's scientific life. A flock of sheep, for example, represents his work on the anthrax vaccine and a dog reminds us of his conquest of rabies. But almost hidden in the ornate tableau is the phrase "une dissymmetry dans les molecules" or, in English, "molecular dissymmetry." Contrary to popular belief, Louis Pasteur was not a doctor or a ...