14. Penicillin
Penicillin is the first antibiotic created in a lab, and it was actually discovered by surprise. What many people don’t know is that Alexander Fleming detected the effects of penicillin when he was studying staphylococcus. He added the bacteria to a few petri dishes and let them sit while he went on vacation over the weekend. Upon his return he found that instead of the bacteria multiplying, there was fungus growing, which means that it had killed the bacteria. The Penicillin mold spores were a byproduct that inhibited the growth of bacteria and lead to the development of Penicillin tablets as we know them today. Penicillin is one of the inventions on this list that has saved countless lives.