The secrets of the Tübingen Castle kitchen: Friedrich Miescher and the discovery of nuclein, the cornerstone of DNA.

In 1869, Friedrich Miescher, born in Basel, Switzerland, discovered a previously unknown phosphorus-rich substance in the nuclei of pus cells. Conducting his research in a laboratory set up in the kitchen of Tübingen's medieval castle in Germany, and under the guidance by Professor Felix Hoppe-Seyler, Miescher primarily focused on the composition of cell nuclei. He obtained nuclear material by washing pus cells from surgical bandages provided by a nearby hospital. In 1869, Miescher described a completely new nuclear molecule that, unlike proteins, contained large amounts of phosphorus. He named this substance 'nuclein,' marking the first description of DNA. Miescher passed away long before Watson, Crick, Wilkins, and Franklin announced the precise role DNA played in cells in 1953. Through his discovery, Miescher laid the groundwork for all subsequent DNA research.