Tiselius, Arne Wilhelm Kaurin (1902–1971)

Swedish chemist who developed a powerful method of chemical analysis known as electrophoresis. He applied his new techniques to the analysis of animal proteins. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1948 for his researches in electrophoresis and adsorption analysis, and discoveries concerning serum proteins.

Tiselius was born in Stockholm and studied at Uppsala, where he spent his career. From 1938 he was director of the Institute of Biochemistry.

Working at Princeton in the USA 1934–35, Tiselius investigated zeolite minerals and their capacity to retain their crystal structure by exchanging their water of crystallization for other substances. The crystal structure remains intact even after the water has been removed under vacuum. He studied the optical changes that occur when the dried crystals are rehydrated.

Tiselius first used electrophoresis in the 1920s. In the 1930s he separated the proteins in horse serum and revealed for the first time the existence of three components which he named α-, β-, and γ-globulin. Later he developed new techniques in chromatography.

Tiselius founded the Nobel Symposia, which take place every year in each of the five prize fields to discuss the social, ethical, and other implications of the award-winning work.