Richard Synge

Richard Laurence Millington Synge was a British biochemist who co-invented partition chromatography alongside his colleague Archer John Porter Martin. Their technique allowed for the precise separation of compounds based on their differing solubilities.

Synge was awarded the 1952 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, an honor he shared directly with his research partner Archer Martin. The award recognized their revolutionary invention of partition chromatography.

Their invention revolutionized the separation of complex chemical mixtures, allowing scientists to isolate amino acids and other substances with unprecedented precision. This foundational technique paved the way for modern analytical methods like paper chromatography.

Synge and Martin conducted much of their pioneering work on chromatography at the Wool Industries Research Association in Leeds. Their initial goal was to analyze the complex amino acids that make up wool fibers.