Luận án tiến sĩ của ông điều tra một số phương pháp tách các phân tử globulin miễn dịch, và, sau khi nhận được bằng tiến sĩ của mình năm 1960, ông vẫn ở Rockefeller là một giảng viên, tiếp tục nghiên cứu của mình. Porter của phương pháp tách các phân tử được sử dụng enzyme đóng vai trò như dao hóa học, tách các axit amin. | tinuous molecule made up of 1 300 amino acids the building blocks of proteins. However Edelman could not accept this conclusion noting that even insulin with its 51 amino acids was made up of two shorter strings of amino acid chains working as a unit. His doctoral thesis investigated several methods of splitting immunoglobulin molecules and after receiving his . in 1960 he remained at Rockefeller as a faculty member continuing his research. Porter s method of splitting the molecules used enzymes that acted as chemical knives breaking apart amino acids. In 1961 Edelman and his colleague M. D. Poulik succeeded in splitting IgG one of the most studied varieties of immunoglobulin in the blood into two components by using a method known as reductive cleavage. The technique allowed them to divide IgG into what are known as light and heavy chains. Data from their experiments and from those of the Czech researcher Frantisek Franek established the intricate nature of the antibody s active sight. The sight occurs at the folding of the two chains which forms a unique pocket to trap the antigen. Porter combined these findings with his and in 1962 announced that the basic structure of IgG had been determined. Their experiments set off a flurry of research into the nature of antibodies in the 1960s. Information was shared throughout the scientific community in a series of informal meetings referred to as Antibody Workshops taking place across the globe. Edelman and Porter dominated the discussions and their work led the way to a wave of discoveries. Still a key drawback to research remained. In any naturally obtained immunoglobulin sample a mixture of ever so slightly different molecules would reduce the overall purity. Based on a crucial finding by Kunkel in the 1950s Porter and Edelman concentrated their study on myelomas cancers of the immunoglobulin-producing cells exploiting the unique nature of these cancers. Kunkel had determined that since all the cells produced by .
