If the 1800s were the Golden Age for Microbiology, then Louis Pasteur must be the Father of Microbiology. Pasteur's contributions to the pure science of microbiology and his contributions related to the industrial and medical applications are second to no other microbiologist or scientist. In 1861 Louis Pasteur used long swan-necked tubes to finally disprove spontaneous generation and gain proof to support biogenesis. He was also requested by the French wine producers to apply his knowledge of microbes and fermentation to the preserving of wine. Realizing that wine "would turn sour" with time, he developed a heating process to destroy microbes in the wine. This process is known today as pasteurization. Using attenuated microbes, Louis Pasteur vaccinated animals-including humans against diseases like anthrax, cholera, and rabies.