(Warning: if garlic is used, the shelf life is significantly shortened because the anaerobic conditions in the oil can lead to germination of Clostridium botulinum, found naturally in soil, which could then lead to botulism in the consumers of the chili oil.)
His father, Émile van Ermengem, was the bacteriologist who discovered the cause of botulism.
Her studies have concerned investigating the role of surface tension depressants in immunological systems, the first complement fixation with a bacteria-free virus, the first report of wound botulism, geotrichum mycemia, nasal carriage of Clostridium tetani, antibiotic cure of rhinoscleroma, antibiotic sensitivity testing of Coccidiodes immitis, and electron microscope studies of Peptococci.