HEVESY, György (Bischitz)

H., who originates from a wealthy family, graduated from Grammar school of the Piarist Order in Budapest and then entered the University. A year later he travelled to Germany, where he completed his studies in the field of chemistry. He acquired his doctorate in physics at the Swiss Technical University in Zürich with thesis on electrolysis fusion.
In 1911 he left for Manchester to join Rutheford so he would get familiar with the latest research discoveries in the field of radioactivity, which was then the cutting-edge branch of science. H’s extensive knowledge of chemistry was great help for the young Niels Bohr, who was in Manchester at the time. They became life-long friends.
At the end of 1912, H. and F. Paneth in Vienna carried out important experiments on at the time not generally known research of the isotopes, which in 1913 led H. to the introduction of labelling. In 1918 he became an associate and in 1919 a full professor at the University of Budapest. By the autumn of 1919 he managed the II. Institute of Physics but had to leave the country due to the fall of the Republic of People’s Councils (Räterepublik, 1919).
H. continued his work since 1920 at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen. On the basis of Bohr's atomic model he in 1922 discovered the chemical element No. 71, the so-called hafnium. The same year he began his first attempts to use tracing techniques in biology. During this time he worked primarily with plants and used lead and thorium isotopes. In 1926 he accepted a post at the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Freiburg. In the next eight years in Freiburg he began to use tracing techniques on animal tissues so he could demonstrate that the tumour cells had higher concentration of bismuth then healthy ones.
When he had to leave Germany in 1933, he again decided to go to Copenhagen. In 1934 he discovered the activation analysis, as he himself wrote, the method for markings in vivo. This is a highly sensitive procedure for qualitative and quantitative analysis, where he focused on the medical, biological and biochemical aspects.
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The full extent of H’s work was shown with the possibility of artificial production of isotopes. Following the discovery of deuterium, he on the basis of heavy water succeeded to demonstrate what exchanges take place between the goldfish and the water in which it swims. Following the discovery of artificial radioactivity, he immediately began addressing the use of 32P, first in research of skeletons, where he was able to demonstrate permanent regeneration. He soon began with similar experiments on other organs. He set the pace and extent of regeneration, as well as the path and growth of various molecules in an organism by gradually enlarging the samples of isotopes.
From 1940 H. carried out most of his experiments in Stockholm, where he found better conditions for his biological research. During these years he was primarily interested in making of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which should enable him to step forward in research on certain types of malignant tumours.
In recognition of his merits in the field of isotope research, H. received a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1943. Even after this international recognition, H. continued to deal with his extensive research. Among other things he worked on various metabolic processes, he focused on tumours and, when older, began to study hematology. After the war H. stayed in Sweden and also took Swedish citizenship.