Jerker Porath

Who is Jerker Porath?

Jerker Porath, born 23 October 1921 in Sala, is a Swedish biochemist who has invented several separation methods for biomolecules.

Porath studied at Uppsala University and initially did research in organic chemistry under Arne Fredga, where he got his licentiate degree. After a scholarship to an institute in Heidelberg he got an interest in biochemistry and switched to Arne Tiselius' department. Tiselius recommended Porath to make a research visit to Choh Hao Li and his Hormone Research Laboratory at University of California, Berkeley where Porath stayed 1951-1952. Back in Uppsala he developed methods for zone electrophoresis and ion exchange chromatography for hormone purification. He received his Ph.D. in Uppsala 1957 with the thesis Zone electrophoresis in columns and adsorption chromatography on ionic cellulose derivatives as methods for peptide and protein fractionations: application to the study of posterior pituitary hormones.

The separation method for which Porath is most well known is gel filtration, which he developed together with Per Flodin. Flodin worked with dextran research at Pharmacia.