Top 10Updated 2026年3月15日
Top 10 Most Cited Scientific Papers of All Time
This ranking is based on data from the Web of Science Core Collection, identifying the most cited scientific papers in history. These publications represent foundational methodological breakthroughs that have profoundly influenced the evolution of biochemistry, statistics, and physics.
Current #1
Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent
Interesting Facts & Summary
The most cited scientific papers in history are rarely the theoretical breakthroughs that win Nobel Prizes; instead, they are the foundational tools and laboratory methods. The top-ranked paper, detailing the Lowry protein assay (published in 1951), boasts over 300,000 citations, a figure that dwarfs the impact of most 'biblical' theoretical works.
Interesting facts:
- Enduring Dominance: For over seven decades, it has maintained an almost unbreakable grip on the top spot, at times appearing as a statistical anomaly in citation metrics.
- The Methodology Gap: In stark contrast, Einstein's groundbreaking papers on relativity have significantly fewer citations. This highlights a professional reality: the ubiquity of a methodology often dictates the ceiling for citation counts. The paper's success lies in its 'high utility' for biochemistry, making it a mandatory standard for generations of laboratory researchers.
| Rank | Paper Title and Field | Citation Count | Year and Core Value |
|---|---|---|---|
Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent | 305000 | 1951, Standard for protein quantification | |
Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4 | 210000 | 1970, Foundation of SDS-PAGE technique | |
A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein | 195000 | 1976, Bradford protein assay | |
| 4 | Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) | 165000 | 1990, Core algorithm in bioinformatics |
| 5 | DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors | 140000 | 1977, Basis of Sanger sequencing |
| 6 | The statistics of natural populations | 125000 | 1940s, Statistical basis for population genetics |
| 7 | Gapped BLAST and PSI-BLAST | 115000 | 1997, Major update in sequence alignment |
| 8 | A new method for classifying lymphocytes | 108000 | 1975, Monoclonal antibody technology |
| 9 | CLUSTAL W: improving the sensitivity of progressive multiple sequence alignment | 98000 | 1994, Standard tool for multiple sequence alignment |
| 10 | Isoelectric focusing in gels | 92000 | 1970s, Protein isoelectric focusing technique |
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