Rebecca Abergel

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Rebecca Abergel
Alma materÉcole Normale Supérieure (B.Sc.) (2002)
University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D) (2006)
Scientific career
FieldsCoordination Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry
InstitutionsUniversity of California, Berkeley
Doctoral advisorKen Raymond
Websiteabergel.lbl.gov

Rebecca Abergel is a professor of nuclear engineering and of chemistry at University of California, Berkeley.[1][2] Abergel is also a senior faculty scientist in the chemical sciences division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where she directs the Glenn T. Seaborg Center and leads the Heavy Element Chemistry research group.[3] She is the recipient of several awards for her research in nuclear and inorganic chemistry.

Her research interests include ligand design and use of spectroscopic characterization methods to study the biological coordination chemistry and toxicity mechanisms of f-elements and inorganic isotopes, especially as applied to decontamination strategies, waste management, remediation, separation, and radiopharmaceutical development.[4]

Abergel is known for leading the development of new drug products for the treatment of populations contaminated with heavy metals and radionuclides.[5] Clinical development and commercialization of these products are now spearheaded by HOPO Therapeutics, which she co-founded.[6]

Early life and education[edit]

Abergel was born in Caracas, Venezuela and grew up in Paris, France. She attended the École Normale Supérieure of Paris for her undergraduate degree, where she studied chemistry. While an undergraduate, she received a scholarship to work in the laboratory of Prof. John Arnold at the University of California, Berkeley.[7] She remained at UC Berkeley to conduct her graduate studies, under the supervision of Prof. Ken Raymond. Her doctoral work focused on the synthesis and characterization of siderophore analogs to probe microbial iron transport systems and to develop new iron chelating agents.[7][8][9][10][11][12] After earning her PhD in inorganic chemistry,[2] Abergel pursued postdoctoral research in the UC Berkeley Department of Chemistry and the group of Prof. Roland Strong at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. There she investigated the bacteriostatic function of the innate immune protein siderocalin in binding siderophores from pathogenic microorganisms such as Bacillus anthracis, for the development of new antibiotics.[13][14][15]

Independent career[edit]

Abergel began her independent career at Berkeley Lab in 2009. She joined the Nuclear Engineering Department of UC Berkeley in 2018[16] and became the Heavy Element Chemistry Group Leader and Glenn T. Seaborg Center Director at Berkeley Lab that same year. In 2023, she joined the UC Berkeley Chemistry Department and became Associate Dean of the College of Engineering.[17][18]

Honors[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "People". abergel.lbl.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  2. ^ a b "Rebecca Abergel - Chemical Sciences Division Chemical Sciences Division". commons.lbl.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  3. ^ "The Glenn T. Seaborg Center". gtsc.lbl.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  4. ^ "BioActinide Chemistry Group @ Berkeley". abergel.lbl.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  5. ^ "This pill could protect us from radiation after a nuclear meltdown". Premium. 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  6. ^ SRI International (2023-05-22). An Open-Label, First-In-Human Study of Single Oral Doses of HOPO 14-1 Evaluating Safety, Tolerability, Pharmacokinetics, and Excretion in Healthy Participants (Report). clinicaltrials.gov.
  7. ^ a b "Women @ The Lab - Rebecca Abergel, Ph.D." sites.google.com. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  8. ^ Abergel, Rebecca J.; Raymond, Kenneth N. (2006-05-01). "Synthesis and Thermodynamic Evaluation of Mixed Hexadentate Linear Iron Chelators Containing Hydroxypyridinone and Terephthalamide Units1". Inorganic Chemistry. 45 (9): 3622–3631. doi:10.1021/ic052111a. ISSN 0020-1669. PMC 3685440. PMID 16634594.
  9. ^ Abergel, Rebecca J.; Warner, Jeffrey A.; Shuh, David K.; Raymond, Kenneth N. (2006-07-01). "Enterobactin Protonation and Iron Release: Structural Characterization of the Salicylate Coordination Shift in Ferric Enterobactin1". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 128 (27): 8920–8931. doi:10.1021/ja062046j. ISSN 0002-7863. PMC 3188320. PMID 16819888.
  10. ^ Abergel, Rebecca J.; Raymond, Kenneth N. (2008-02-01). "Terephthalamide-containing ligands: fast removal of iron from transferrin". Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry. 13 (2): 229–240. doi:10.1007/s00775-007-0314-y. ISSN 1432-1327. PMID 17990009. S2CID 20706644.
  11. ^ Abergel, Rebecca J.; Zawadzka, Anna M.; Raymond, Kenneth N. (2008-02-01). "Petrobactin-Mediated Iron Transport in Pathogenic Bacteria: Coordination Chemistry of an Unusual 3,4-Catecholate/Citrate Siderophore". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 130 (7): 2124–2125. doi:10.1021/ja077202g. ISSN 0002-7863. PMID 18220393.
  12. ^ Abergel, Rebecca J.; Zawadzka, Anna M.; Hoette, Trisha M.; Raymond, Kenneth N. (2009-09-09). "Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Trilactone Siderophores: Where Chiral Recognition Occurs in Enterobactin and Bacillibactin Iron Transport". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 131 (35): 12682–12692. doi:10.1021/ja903051q. ISSN 0002-7863. PMC 2782669. PMID 19673474.
  13. ^ Abergel, Rebecca J.; Moore, Evan G.; Strong, Roland K.; Raymond, Kenneth N. (2006-08-01). "Microbial Evasion of the Immune System: Structural Modifications of Enterobactin Impair Siderocalin Recognition". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 128 (34): 10998–10999. doi:10.1021/ja062476+. ISSN 0002-7863. PMC 3188317. PMID 16925397.
  14. ^ Abergel, Rebecca J.; Wilson, Melissa K.; Arceneaux, Jean E. L.; Hoette, Trisha M.; Strong, Roland K.; Byers, B. Rowe; Raymond, Kenneth N. (2006-12-05). "Anthrax pathogen evades the mammalian immune system through stealth siderophore production". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 103 (49): 18499–18503. Bibcode:2006PNAS..10318499A. doi:10.1073/pnas.0607055103. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 1693691. PMID 17132740.
  15. ^ Abergel, Rebecca J.; Clifton, Matthew C.; Pizarro, Juan C.; Warner, Jeffrey A.; Shuh, David K.; Strong, Roland K.; Raymond, Kenneth N. (2008-08-27). "The Siderocalin/Enterobactin Interaction: A Link between Mammalian Immunity and Bacterial Iron Transport1". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 130 (34): 11524–11534. doi:10.1021/ja803524w. ISSN 0002-7863. PMC 3188318. PMID 18680288.
  16. ^ "Chemistry alum Rebecca Abergel joins nuclear engineering faculty | College of Chemistry". chemistry.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  17. ^ "Rebecca Abergel | College of Chemistry". chemistry.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  18. ^ "Leadership team". Berkeley Engineering. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  19. ^ "Executive Committee - Radiation Research Society (RADRES)". www.radres.org. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  20. ^ "2022 Laureates". recognition.lbl.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  21. ^ "Endowed Lectureships | College of Chemistry". chemistry.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  22. ^ "Rebecca Abergel". Bakar Fellows Program. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  23. ^ "Department of Energy announces Secretary's Honor Award Recipients". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  24. ^ "Department of Energy announces Secretary's Honor Award Recipients". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  25. ^ "Hellman – Advancing The Careers of Junior Faculty". Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  26. ^ "46 UC researchers named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science". University of California. 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
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