Archer Martin. Portrait of Archer John Porter Martin (born 1910), British biochemist. His initial work was on vitamin deficiency. Then, in association with Synge, he invented partition or paper chromatography. The constituents of a sample mixed with an organic solvent would travel different distances along a piece of absorbent paper depending upon their solubility. Their techniques revolutionised analytical biochemistry by allowing the rapid separation of small amounts of biochemicals from complex mixtures. In 1952 Martin and Synge were awarded the Nobel prize for chemistry. From 1953 Martin worked on gas-liquid chromatography and micromanipulators