Chris Abell Explained

Birth Date:1957 11, df=yes
Birth Name:Christopher Abell
Nationality:British
Fields:Biological chemistry
Workplaces:University of Cambridge
Brown University
Education:University of Cambridge (BA, MA, PhD)
Thesis Title:Polyketide biosynthesis
Thesis Url:http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.350039
Thesis Year:1982
Doctoral Advisor:James Staunton
Doctoral Students:Shankar Balasubramanian[1]
Alessio Ciulli[2]
Known For:Astex[3]
biosynthesis as targets for the rational design of antimicrobials; fragment-based approaches to enzyme inhibition; and biological nanotechnology
Awards:Hickinbottom Award (1991)
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Christopher Abell [4] (11 November 1957[5] – 26 October 2020) was a British biological chemist who was a professor of biological chemistry at the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry and Todd-Hamied Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge.[6] On his 2016 election to the Royal Society, Abell's research was described as having "changed the face of drug discovery."

Education

Abell was educated at St John's College, Cambridge, gaining an Bachelor of Arts degree in Natural Sciences in 1979 followed by PhD[7] on the topic of polyketide biosynthesis for research supervised by James Staunton in 1982.[8]

Career and research

Abell held a research fellowship in the laboratory of David E. Cane at Brown University, Providence, USA, studying terpene biosynthesis (1982–83). In 1984, Abell joined the department of chemistry of the University of Cambridge, successively holding the positions of demonstrator, lecturer and reader in chemical biology, and becoming professor in biological chemistry in 2002. He held visiting professorships at the Australian National University in Canberra, University of Santiago de Compostela, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, and the Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse.[9] He was a fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge, from 1986;[10] and was the college's Todd-Hamied Fellow.[11] In 2013 he was appointed the first director of postdoctoral affairs at the University of Cambridge,[12] and in 2016 was appointed pro-vice-chancellor for research.

Abell published over 200 papers. His research interests include vitamin and amino acid biosynthesis as targets for the rational design of antimicrobials; fragment-based approaches to enzyme inhibition; bacterial and plant riboswitches; reactions in microdroplets;[13] and biological nanotechnology.[14] His former doctoral students include Shankar Balasubramanian.[1]

Commercial ventures

Abell was the co-founder of several companies. In 1999, he co-founded Astex Technology Ltd, which uses fragment-based drug discovery technology to discover cancer therapeutics. In 2001, he co-founded Akubio, which developed biosensors for detecting bacteria and viruses; it was acquired by Inverness Medical Innovations in 2008.[15] In 2010, he co-founded Sphere Fluidics to develop microdroplet technology.[16] In 2012 he co-founded Aqdot, a company developing a new microencapsulation technology.[17]

Personal life

In 1981, he married Katherine Abell, who worked with him at the department of chemistry in Cambridge; they had a son. He died suddenly on 26 October 2020.

Awards and honours

His awards include the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Prize in Organic Chemistry in 1992, the Hickinbottom Award of the Royal Society of Chemistry,[18] and a Yamada Science Foundation Award. In 2008 he was the MIT Novartis Lecturer, and in 2011 was a BIC International Fellow at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.[19] He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) in 2012[20] and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2016.[21]

Selected publications

Notes and References

  1. PhD . Shankar. Balasubramanian . Studies on the reaction mechanism of chorismate synthase . University of Cambridge . 1991 . 60112382. . lib.cam.ac.uk.
  2. PhD . Alessio. Ciulli . Biophysical studies of protein-ligand interactions . University of Cambridge . 2006 . . lib.cam.ac.uk.
  3. Web site: Christopher ABELL - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House). beta.companieshouse.gov.uk.
  4. News: 57 . 27 October 2015 . Fellows (FRSC) . The Times .
  5. Abell, Prof Christopher. In Debrett's People of Today 2012 (accessed 15 January 2012) (subscription required)
  6. Web site: Scientific Advisory Board. https://web.archive.org/web/20130407084006/http://astx.com/about/scientific_advisory_board/. dead. 7 April 2013. 7 April 2013.
  7. PhD. University of Cambridge. Polyketide biosynthesis. Christopher. Abell. 1982. . lib.cam.ac.uk. 59312458.
  8. (accessed 15 January 2013)
  9. http://www.astex-therapeutics.com/about/sab.php Astex Therapeutics: Scientific Advisors and Clinical Consultants
  10. Web site: Christ's College Magazine 2019. Issuu. en. 2020-01-01. 18 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210518174529/https://issuu.com/christsalumni/docs/christsmag2019_sc_v5_web. dead.
  11. http://www.christs.cam.ac.uk/college-life/people/fellows/ Christ's College, University of Cambridge: The Fellows of Christ's College
  12. http://www.cam.ac.uk/for-staff/appointments/new-senior-post-to-support-post-doc-community University of Cambridge: new senior post to support post-doc community
  13. Theberge. Ashleigh B.. Courtois. Fabienne. Schaerli. Yolanda. Fischlechner. Martin. Abell. Chris. Hollfelder. Florian. Huck. Wilhelm T. S.. Microdroplets in Microfluidics: An Evolving Platform for Discoveries in Chemistry and Biology. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 49. 34. 2010. 5846–5868. 1433-7851. 10.1002/anie.200906653. 20572214. 18609389 .
  14. http://www.ch.cam.ac.uk/staff/ca.html University of Cambridge: Department of Chemistry: Professor Chris Abell
  15. http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/biomedtech-/11002-recycled-cambridge-biosensor-technology-attracts-millions-in-investment Vargas L. Recycled Cambridge biosensor technology attracts millions in investment Business Weekly (27 August 2008)
  16. http://www.spherefluidics.com/news_2010.php Sphere Fluidics: 2010 News
  17. Web site: From farm to fame, Cambridge's 'cereal' life science entrepreneur Business Weekly Technology News Business news Cambridge and the East of England. Quested. Tony. www.businessweekly.co.uk. 2020-01-01.
  18. Web site: RSC Hickinbottom Award Previous Winners. www.rsc.org. 2020-01-01.
  19. http://www.bic.canterbury.ac.nz/International%20Fellows.shtml International Fellows
  20. http://www.acmedsci.ac.uk/p109.html The Academy of Medical Sciences: Fellows: Newly elected fellows
  21. Web site: Professor Christopher Abell Biography. Royal Society. 1 May 2016.

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