Name an antibiotic extracted from fungus (mould). Name the fungus.

Penicillin is the famous antibiotic extracted from fungus, and it is derived from the mold Penicillium notatum (also Penicillium chrysogenum). Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin in 1928 when he noticed that a Penicillium mold contaminating his bacterial culture plates had killed the surrounding Staphylococcus bacteria. This serendipitous observation led to the development of the world's first widely used antibiotic, revolutionizing medicine and saving millions of lives.

Penicillin works by interfering with bacterial cell wall synthesis, causing bacteria to burst and die, while leaving human cells unharmed since they lack cell walls. The mass production of penicillin during World War II dramatically reduced deaths from infected wounds and bacterial diseases. Today, the penicillin family includes numerous derivatives and related antibiotics that treat various bacterial infections including pneumonia, strep throat, skin infections, and sexually transmitted diseases. Fleming's discovery earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 and established fungi as valuable sources of life-saving medicines.