Francesco Redi

Francesco Redi (1626 - 1697) was a physician born in Arezzo, Italy. He is most well-known for his experiment in 1668 which is regarded as a one of the first steps in refuting abiogenesis. At the time, prevailing wisdom was that maggots formed naturally from rotting meat. In the experiment, Redi covered a piece of meat with a net that prevented flies from reaching it. When maggots did not appear on the meat, it was a sign that abiogenesis was wrong.