Brownian motion, electrophoresis, chromatography, and macromolecular chemistry: how it all unites Nobel laureates of the first half of the 20th century – T. Svedberg, A. Tiselius, R. Synge and H. Staudinger

Abstract

It is hard to imagine how chemistry, biology and medicine would develop without such techniques as ultracentrifugation, electrophoresis and chromatography. At present innovative hi-tech laboratory ultracentrifuges are widely used in various fields of fundamental science and practice, including colloid chemistry, biochemical analysis, virology, clinical diagnostics, pharmacy, nanotechnology, to name a few. Electrophoresis enables to detect protein abnormalities with high probability, and, therefore, has wide application for the diagnosis of infectious-inflammatory diseases, genetic and immune disorders, malignant tumors and others. Chromatography is widely used for biochemical research and analytical detection and control of drugs and food. But where did these methods, which have had a significant impact on the development of various­ fields of scientific and economic activity, come from? Who were the pioneers in this field and whose work influenced the formation of the next generation of researchers? These are the questions we address in this article.

Keywords

• A. Tiselius
• Brownian motion
• chromatography
• electrophoresis
• H. Staudinger
• macromolecular chemistry
• R. Synge
• T. Svedberg