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Staff Profile

Dr Cecilia Piergentili

Research Associate

Background

I received my Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry in 2006 from the Universita’ degli Studi di Parma (Italy) with a thesis on the synthesis and characterization of inorganic self-assembled supramolecules known as metallacrowns. I investigated metallacrowns stability in presence of competing ligands and managed study of core metal substitution performed by UV-visible titrations.

I then attended a two-year Master Degree in Chemistry (specialising in Inorganic Chemistry) at the same institution studying the anticancer activity of a series of compounds based on thiosemicarbazone complexes of copper and nickel.

In 2011 I moved to Durham (UK) to study for a PhD in Nigel Robinson group. My PhD work focussed on dissecting how levels of transition metals are selectively balanced and managed by regulatory proteins within a bacterial system. I investigated factors determining selective responses of DNA-binding metal-sensors, including analysis of the formaldehyde sensor FrmR. 

I am currently working at Newcastle University with Jon Marles-Wright as postdoctoral research associate. This BBSRC project will investigate how the structure of encapsulated ferritin enzymes relates to their function within the encapsulin iron-megastores.

Publications