The invention of partition chromatography by the biochemists Archer Martin and Richard Synge in 1941 offered crucial insights into the structure and function of DNA, insights at least as important as those from X-ray crystallography. Even so, the role that partition chromatography played in molecular biological studies is far less well known. Using new archival material, this article describes the origins of Martin and Synge's work, arguing that their achievement was far more than a new technical innovation; it went on to have a profound impact on the development of molecular biology to an extent that scholars have insufficiently appreciated.

中文翻译：

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“赞美羊毛”：分配色谱的发展及其对分子生物学的低估影响

生物化学家 Archer Martin 和 Richard Synge 于 1941 年发明的分配色谱法提供了对 DNA 结构和功能的重要见解，这些见解至少与 X 射线晶体学的见解一样重要。即便如此，分配色谱在分子生物学研究中的作用仍然鲜为人知。本文使用新的档案材料描述了 Martin 和 Synge 工作的起源，认为他们的成就远不只是一项新技术创新；它继续对分子生物学的发展产生了深远的影响，其影响程度达到了学者们尚未充分认识到的程度。