Robert Koch (German: Robert Koch) (December 11, 1843 - May 27, 1910) was a German physician and microbiologist. He is known for the discovery and identification of the causative agents of deadly infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera (although the bacterium itself was discovered by Filippo Pacini in 1854) and anthrax, and is thus considered one of the main founders of modern bacteriology. As such, he is generally called the father of microbiology (with Louis Pasteur), and the father of medical bacteriology. His discovery of the anthrax bacterium (Bacillus anthracis) in 1876 is considered the birth of modern bacteriology. His discoveries provided direct evidence for the germ theory of disease and the scientific basis for public health.