Henle developed the concepts of contagium vivum and contagium animatum, respectively (Von den Miasmen und Kontagien, 1840) – thereby following ideas of Girolamo Fracastoro and the work of Agostino Bassi; thus co-founding the theory of microorganisms as the cause of infective diseases.
The Italian Agostino Bassi was the first person to prove that a disease was caused by a microorganism when he conducted a series of experiments between 1808 and 1813, demonstrating that a "vegetable parasite" caused a disease in silkworms known as calcinaccio.
While studying muscardine in silkworms in the 19th century, Agostino Bassi found that the causal agent was a fungus.
The church house the sepultures of several notable people, such as the poet Ada Negri and the naturalist Agostino Bassi.
Agostino Ramelli | Agostino Nifo | Agostino Gemelli | Agostino Bassi | Gigi D'Agostino | Jon D'Agostino | Agostino di Duccio | Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic | Agostino Chigi | Agostino Barbarigo | Theresa D'Agostino | Roberto D'Agostino | Politicians of The Wire#Theresa D'Agostino | Peter D'Agostino | Laura Bassi | Kenny Agostino | Gaetano D'Agostino | Engraving 'after Agostino Brunias' (ca 1801) entitled ''A Negro Festival drawn from Nature in the Island of St Vincent''. National Maritime Museum | Ángel D'Agostino | Albert S. D'Agostino | Agostino von Hassell | Agostino Veracini | Agostino Straulino | Agostino Scilla | Agostino Casaroli | Agostino Busti | Agostino Brunias | Agostino Agresta |