Ludwig Karl Martin Leonhard Albrecht Kossel (; 16 September 1853 – 5 July 1927) was a German
biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of "biological che ...
and pioneer in the study of
genetics
Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar worki ...
. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for
Physiology or Medicine in 1910 for his work in determining the chemical composition of
nucleic acids, the genetic substance of
biological cells
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life forms. Every cell consists of a cytoplasm enclosed within a membrane, and contains many biomolecules such as proteins, DNA and RNA, as well as many small molecules of nutrients ...
.
Kossel isolated and described the five
organic compounds
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...
that are present in
nucleic acid:
adenine,
cytosine
Cytosine () (symbol C or Cyt) is one of the four nucleobases found in DNA and RNA, along with adenine, guanine, and thymine ( uracil in RNA). It is a pyrimidine derivative, with a heterocyclic aromatic ring and two substituents attached ...
,
guanine
Guanine () (symbol G or Gua) is one of the four main nucleobases found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, the others being adenine, cytosine, and thymine ( uracil in RNA). In DNA, guanine is paired with cytosine. The guanine nucleoside is c ...
,
thymine, and
uracil. These compounds were later shown to be
nucleobases, and are key in the formation of
DNA and
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...
, the genetic material found in all living cells.
Kossel was an important influence on and collaborator with other important researchers in biochemistry, including
Henry Drysdale Dakin,
Friedrich Miescher,
Edwin B. Hart
Edwin Bret Hart (December 25, 1874 – March 12, 1953) was an American biochemist long associated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
A native of Sandusky, Ohio, Hart studied physiological chemistry in Germany under Albrecht Koss ...
, and his professor and mentor,
Felix Hoppe-Seyler. Kossel was editor of the
Zeitschrift für Physiologische Chemie (Journal of Physiological Chemistry) from 1895 until his death. Kossel also conducted important research into the composition of
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respon ...
, and his research predicted the discovery of the
polypeptide nature of the protein molecule.
The
Albrecht Kossel Institute for Neuroregeneration at the
University of Rostock is named in his honor.
Early life and education
Kossel was born in
Rostock, Germany as the son of the
merchant
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
and
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
n
consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...
Albrecht Karl Ludwig Enoch Kossel and his wife Clara Jeppe Kossel. As a youth, Kossel attended the Gymnasium at Rostock, where he evidenced substantial interest in chemistry and botany.
In 1872, Kossel attended the
University of Strassburg to study medicine. He studied under
Felix Hoppe-Seyler, who was head of the department of biochemistry, the only such institution in Germany at the time. He attended lectures by
Anton de Bary,
Waldeyer,
August Kundt
August Adolf Eduard Eberhard Kundt (; 18 November 183921 May 1894) was a German physicist.
Early life
Kundt was born at Schwerin in Mecklenburg. He began his scientific studies at Leipzig, but afterwards went to Berlin University. At first ...
, and
Baeyer
Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer (; 31 October 1835 – 20 August 1917) was a German chemist who synthesised indigo and developed a nomenclature for cyclic compounds (that was subsequently extended and adopted as part of the IUPAC org ...
. He completed his studies at
University of Rostock, and passed his German medical license exam in 1877.
Early research and collaboration
After completing his university studies, Kossel returned to the University of Strassburg as research assistant to Felix Hoppe-Seyler. At the time, Hoppe-Seyler was intensely interested in research concerning an acidic substance that had first been chemically isolated from pus cells by one of his former students,
Friedrich Miescher, in 1869. Unlike protein, the substance contained considerable amounts of
phosphorus, but with its high acidity, it was unlike any cellular substance that had yet been observed.
Kossel showed that the substance, called "nuclein", consisted of a protein component and a non-protein component. Kossel further isolated and described the non-protein component. This substance has become known as ''
nucleic acid'', which contains the genetic information found in all living cells.
Isolation and description of nucleobases
In 1883, Kossel left Strassburg to become Director of the Chemistry Division of the Physiological Institute at the
University of Berlin. In this post, he succeeded
Eugen Baumann
Eugen Baumann (12 December 1846 – 3 November 1896) was a German chemist. He was one of the first people to create polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and, together with Carl Schotten, he discovered the Schotten-Baumann reaction.
Life
Baumann was born in ...
and worked under the supervision of
Emil du Bois-Reymond.
Kossel continued his previous work on the nucleic acids. During the period 1885 to 1901, he was able to isolate and name its five constituent
organic compounds
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. The ...
:
adenine,
cytosine
Cytosine () (symbol C or Cyt) is one of the four nucleobases found in DNA and RNA, along with adenine, guanine, and thymine ( uracil in RNA). It is a pyrimidine derivative, with a heterocyclic aromatic ring and two substituents attached ...
,
guanine
Guanine () (symbol G or Gua) is one of the four main nucleobases found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, the others being adenine, cytosine, and thymine ( uracil in RNA). In DNA, guanine is paired with cytosine. The guanine nucleoside is c ...
,
thymine, and
uracil. These compounds are now known collectively as
nucleobases, and they provide the molecular structure necessary in the formation of stable
DNA and
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...
molecules.
Research into the chemical composition of protein
In 1895, Kossel was professor of physiology as well as director of the Physiological Institute at the
University of Marburg
The Philipps University of Marburg (german: Philipps-Universität Marburg) was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Protestant university in the worl ...
. Around this time, he began investigations into the chemical composition of
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respon ...
s, the alterations in proteins during transformation into
peptone, the
peptide components of cells, and other investigations.
In 1896, Kossel discovered
histidine, then worked out the classical method for the quantitative separation of the "hexone bases" (the
alpha-amino acid
Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha ami ...
s
arginine,
histidine, and
lysine). He was also the first to isolate
theophylline, a therapeutic drug found naturally in tea and cocoa beans.
In 1901, Kossel was named to a similar post at
Heidelberg University, and became director of the Heidelberg Institute for Protein Investigation. His research predicted the discovery of the
polypeptide nature of the protein molecule.
Nobel prize
Kossel was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine ( sv, Nobelpriset i fysiologi eller medicin) is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or ...
in 1910 for his research in
cell biology
Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living a ...
, the chemical composition of the
cell nucleus, and for his work in isolating and describing
nucleic acids. The award was presented on 10 December 1910.
In the autumn of 1911, Kossel was invited to the United States to deliver the
Herter Lecture at
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland where he remained for most ...
. Traveling with his wife Luise and daughter Gertrude, he took the opportunity to travel and to visit acquaintances, one of which was
Eugene W. Hilgard,
professor emeritus of
agricultural chemistry at the
University of California at Berkeley, who was also his wife's cousin. He also visited and delivered lectures at several other universities, including the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
.
On the occasion of his visit to New York City, Kossel was interviewed by a reporter from ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. Kossel's English was reportedly very good, and his self-effacing modesty is voluminously mentioned in the reporter's account.
His Herter lecture at Johns Hopkins was titled, "The Proteins". This was the only time Kossel ever visited the United States.
Later research and collaboration
With his distinguished English pupil
Henry Drysdale Dakin, Kossel investigated
arginase, the
ferment which hydrolyses
arginine into
urea and
ornithine. Later, he discovered
agmatine in herring roe and devised a method for preparing it.
Another of Kossel's students was American
biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of "biological che ...
Edwin B. Hart
Edwin Bret Hart (December 25, 1874 – March 12, 1953) was an American biochemist long associated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
A native of Sandusky, Ohio, Hart studied physiological chemistry in Germany under Albrecht Koss ...
, who would later return to the United States to participate in the "
Single-grain experiment" (1907–1911) and be part of research teams that would determine the
nutritive
Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient ...
causes of
anemia
Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, ...
and
goiter. Another was
Otto Folin, an American chemist who discovered
Phosphocreatine
Phosphocreatine, also known as creatine phosphate (CP) or PCr (Pcr), is a phosphorylated form of creatine that serves as a rapidly mobilizable reserve of high-energy phosphates in skeletal muscle, myocardium and the brain to recycle adenosine trip ...
.
In 1923, Kossel was honored by being named Germany's representative to the Eleventh Physiological Congress in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, Scotland. When he appeared before the assembled scientists, they gave him an ovation that lasted several minutes. At the congress, he was conferred an honorary degree by the
University of Edinburgh.
In 1924, Kossel became
professor emeritus, but continued to lecture at
Heidelberg University. In April 1927, he attended the
Lister Centenary Celebration held in England.
During the last years of Kossel's life, he conducted important research into the composition of the protein types
protamines and
histones, and introduced
flavianic acid
Naphthol yellow S is an organic compound that is a dye. It is a derivative of 1-Naphthol, 1-naphthol. At one time it was a popular food colorant but it was delisted in 1959 in the U.S.
References
Acid dyes
Naphthalenesulfonates
Nitronapht ...
for the quantitative separation of arginine, histidine and lysine in proteins. A monograph describing this work was published shortly after his death.
Zeitschrift für Physiologische Chemie
Kossel contributed to early issues of the
Zeitschrift für Physiologische Chemie (Journal of Physiological Chemistry). This publication was founded by his professor and mentor,
Felix Hoppe-Seyler, in 1877, the same year that Kossel started work as his research assistant. After Hoppe-Seyler's death in 1895, Kossel took over editorship of the Zeitschrift and continued in that role until his own death in 1927.
Personal life
In 1886, Kossel married Luise Holtzman, daughter of
Adolf Holtzmann. Holtzmann was Professor at the
University of Heidelberg, lecturing in
German literature as well as
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
. He was also a noted
philologist
Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as ...
of his day. The couple had three children, two of whom survived to maturity: Walther, born in 1888, and daughter Gertrude, born in 1889.
Son
Walther Kossel
Walther Ludwig Julius Kossel (4 January 1888 – 22 May 1956) was a German physicist known for his theory of the chemical bond ( ionic bond/octet rule), Sommerfeld–Kossel displacement law of atomic spectra, the Kossel-Stranski model for crystal ...
(1888–1956) became a prominent
physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate ca ...
and was professor of
theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experi ...
and director of the Physics Institute at the
University of Tübingen. He is known for his theory of the
chemical bond
A chemical bond is a lasting attraction between atoms or ions that enables the formation of molecules and crystals. The bond may result from the electrostatic force between oppositely charged ions as in ionic bonds, or through the sharing o ...
(
ionic bond
Ionic bonding is a type of chemical bonding that involves the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions, or between two atoms with sharply different electronegativities, and is the primary interaction occurring in ionic compoun ...
/
octet rule
The octet rule is a chemical rule of thumb that reflects the theory that main-group elements tend to bond in such a way that each atom has eight electrons in its valence shell, giving it the same electronic configuration as a noble gas. The ...
), the
Sommerfeld–Kossel displacement law The Sommerfeld–Kossel displacement law states that the first spark (singly ionized) spectrum of an element is similar in all details to the arc (neutral) spectrum of the element preceding it in the periodic table. Likewise, the second (doubly ion ...
, and other achievements.
Albrecht Kossel was apparently not greatly interested in politics, but in 1914 he did not sign the propaganda Pronunciamento of German professors at the start of the war. He suffered under the lies which filled the world in war time. In 1917 Kossel was summoned by the government to pronounce that the allotted food provisions were sufficient. He refused this demand, would never declare untruths as truths
Through his marriage to Luise, Kossel was related to several prominent Americans, including
soil science
Soil science is the study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the Earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to ...
pioneer
Eugene W. Hilgard, journalist and financier
Henry Villard, and abolitionist
William Lloyd Garrison.
Luise Kossel died in 1913 of
acute pancreatitis. Kossel died quietly on 5 July 1927, after a recurring attack of
angina pectoris
Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease.
Angina is typically the result of obstr ...
.
He is buried in
Heidelberg, Germany.
Legacy
Albrecht Kossel is considered one of the great scientists of biochemistry and genetics.
By isolating and defining
nucleic acid and the
nucleobases, he provided the necessary precursors that led to the
double-helix model of
DNA, devised by
James D. Watson and
Francis Crick in 1953.
" … his elucidation of the chemical nature of some building blocks that make up nucleic acids and chromatine has secured immortality for this exeedingly modest and almost shy man."
The
Albrecht Kossel Institute for Neuroregeneration at the
University of Rostock is named in his honor.
Selected works
*''Untersuchungen über die Nukleine und ihre Spaltungsprodukte'' ("Investigations into the nucleins and their cleavage products", 1881)
*''Die Gewebe des menschlichen Körpers und ihre mikroskopische Untersuchung'' ("The tissues in the human body and their microscopic investigation", 1889–1891)
*''Leitfaden für medizinisch-chemische Kurse'' ("Textbook for medical-chemical courses", 1888)
*''Die Probleme der Biochemie'' ("The problems of biochemistry", 1908)
*''Die Beziehungen der Chemie zur Physiologie'' ("The relationships between chemistry and physiology", 1913)
References
External links
* including the Nobel Lecture on 12 December 1910 ''The Chemical Composition of the Cell Nucleus''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kossel, Albrecht
1853 births
1927 deaths
People from Rostock
People from the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
German physiologists
History of genetics
Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine
Humboldt University of Berlin faculty
German Nobel laureates
University of Strasbourg alumni
University of Rostock alumni
University of Marburg faculty
Heidelberg University faculty
Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences
Physicians of the Charité