Press Releases Archive

02.11.2015

Cradle of Biochemistry opens at Tübingen University Museum

CureVac sponsors restoration of 1896 laboratory, site of DNA discovery

The world’s first biochemical laboratory – in Hohentübingen Castle – will soon be on display to the public. Thanks to sponsorship from the biopharmaceuticals maker CureVac AG, the University Museum will open the newly-restored laboratory on Thursday, 5 November 2015 at 6pm.

The room, once the castle kitchen, was set up as a laboratory in 1818. Under early researchers such as Georg Sigwart and Julius Schlossberger, it became the first biochemical research location. Groundbreaking research was carried out here in the era of Felix Hoppe-Seyler, who became a Tübingen professor in 1861. Hoppe-Seyler examined the red color in blood and named it haemoglobin. In 1869, his pupil Friedrich Miescher discovered a substance he called nuclein - DNA and RNA, the carriers of genetic information in cell nuclei.

The new room at the Museum in Hohentübingen Castle will be open from November 6 under the title Schlosslabor Tübingen. Wiege der Biochemie (Tübingen castle laboratory – Cradle of Biochemistry.) It details the history of Biochemistry in Tübingen and places the most important exhibits in their historical context. Opening hours: Wed. - Sun. 10am-5pm. Thurs. 10am-7pm.

The exhibition is in German and English. Tübingen biochemical company CureVac AG sponsored the restoration of the historical biochemical laboratory with €100,000 from EU prize money. CureVac AG carries out RNA research.

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Ernst Seidl
Director, University of Tübingen Museum (MUT)
Schulberg 2 ∙ 72070 Tübingen
Phone +49 7071 29-74134
<link mail ein fenster zum versenden der>ernst.seidl[at]uni-tuebingen.de
<link http: www.unimuseum.de>

www.unimuseum.de

Images available from MUT