The Discovery of Nuclein The Swiss biochemist Friedrich Miescher (1844­1895) successfully isolated a new substance from a sample of white blood cells. He extracted the cells from used bandages that he received from a nearby hospital. White blood cells adhering to used bandages? Ugh, so we must be talking about... That's right! We're talking about pus! Friedrich Miescher He studied pus?! Gross! I guess biochemistry isn't all glamour and diets...