Synge: Richard

SYNGE, RICHARD L. M. (1914-1994). An Irish mathematician and physicist who won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1952 along with Archer J. P. Martin for their invention of partition chromatography. His research was on llie application of mediods of physical chemistry to isolate and analyze proteins, with special attention to antibiotic peptides and higher plants. He received his doctorate from Cambridge. 

AP/Wide World Photos. Reproduced by permission p. 192 Cutaway of the ITER tokamak device, photograph. Photo Researchers, Inc. Reproduced by permission p. 193 Svedberg, Theodor, portrait. The Library of Congress p. 195 Synge, Richard... 

In their landmark paper, Martin and Synge also indicated that partition chromatography that used a carrier gas as the mobile phase was possible. In his Nobel lecture of 1952, Martin casually revealed that he, in collaboration with A. T. James, had devised a mechanism for gas-fiquid chromatography. The use of a gas as the mobile phase did place fimits on the types of material that could be analyzed, as the compounds had to be volatile and better detectors were needed, but these difficulties proved to be surmountable. Today, gas-liquid chromatography is probably the single most widely used analytical tool in chemistry, see also Analytical Chemistry Synge, Richard Laurence Millington. 

Martin, Archer J. P., and Synge, Richard L. M. (1941). Biochemistry Journal 35 1358-1366. American Chemical Society and the Chemical Heritage Foundation. 

Martin, A. J. P. Synge, Richard Laurence AlUUngton (1941). Biochemical Journal 35 1,358-1,366. 

Synge, Richard Laurence AUlhngton (1952). Apphcations of Partition Chromatography, Nobel Lecture, December 12, 1952. Available from . 

Synge, Richard Laurence Millington (p. 52, Plate 44). Born in 1914 in Liverpool, he studied Biochemistry at Cambridge, Int. Wool Seer. 1938, Biochemist at Wool Industries Research Association, Leeds 1941-1943, Staff Biochemist Lister Inst, of Preventive Medicine, London, until 1948, then Head of Dept, of Protein Chemistry, Riwett Research Inst. Bucksburn, Aberdeen (1948-67), Biochemist, Food Research Institute, Norwich, 1967-1976. Shared Nobel Prize for Chemistry with A.J.P. Martin, 1952 for invention of partition chromatography. 

Synge, Richard Laurence Millington (1914-94) British biochemist. Synge is best known for his work with Archer MARTIN on paper chromatography which led to them sharing the 1952 Nobel Prize for chemistry. Synge used this technique to determine the exact structure of a simple antibiotic peptide gramicidin-S. 

---