Minoru Shirota, Japanese physician and microbiologist, invented Yakult (d. 1982)
Minoru Shirota (代田 稔, Shirota Minoru, April 23, 1899 – March 10, 1982) was a Japanese microbiologist. In the 1930

Shirota identified a strain of lactic acid bacteria that is part of normal gut flora that he originally called Lactobacillus casei Shirota, which appeared to help contain the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut. The strain was later reclassified as Lactobacillus paracasei Shirota.He founded the company Yakult Honsha in 1955 to sell beverages containing the strain branded Yakult.He died in Tokyo, Japan in 1982.