Laurence Angel, Ph.D.

Professor

A Conversation with Dr. Angel

What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?

I think the greatest advantage for students at A&M-Commerce is the opportunity to participate in research labs. Students should be able to apply what they have learned in class to real-world problems. By gaining hands-on experience, students will fully understand the theories and the practicalities of chemistry. Employers prefer employees who have some applied experience. When a student is able to discuss research with others, they really stand out!

What draws you to your discipline?

When I began my studies, chemistry was a popular area of study. I minored in North American studies and majored in environmental science. I believe it should have been called environmental chemistry instead of science due to all the chemistry-related courses, though! My professor at Sussex helped me pursue my doctorate in instrumental physical analysis, which emphasized chemistry. I was able to tie in my environmental background by conducting atmospheric research, and with that emphasis, I was able to transfer to chemistry.

What has been your favorite course to teach?

From all the courses that I have taught, I enjoy teaching general chemistry the most, even though it doesn’t relate to my research. It’s very rewarding to teach a group of students. I also find that undergraduate courses give me the ability to have a bit more fun because I know the content by heart. It allows me to improvise instead of following a script.

Tell us about a project you are currently working on or recently completed.

I am currently in the process of using an instrumental technique in therapeutic metal lines. I am looking into health and remedies as some diseases in the body can break down and oxidize tissue. One of the treatments is to intravenously introduce a strong coagulation agent. Additional therapy is needed to help bind up the excess amount of metal lines, such as copper. The body will excrete the bound copper to decrease the amount of it present in the body. Another instrumental technique combines ion mobility and mass spectrometry by preparing peptides with copper to find out which peptides have the highest binding capability to a specific metal. My research group and I have been working with peptides for the last eight years because there is such a variety of them to test.

Tell us a little about yourself.

During my undergraduate work in the UK, I studied a year abroad in Stonybrook, Long Island. I was very excited to see a new country and have the opportunity to travel. It was a great experience! I went back to the UK and began my doctoral studies. My area of research had many connections with international research, especially in North America. I traveled several times to America and met many professors in similar fields. I realized that America had a lot of availability for post-doctoral research in chemistry. It had always been something I was interested in doing, so after completing my doctorate, I found a position at the University of Nevada.

Academic Positions

• Professor, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2019-Present
• Associate Professor, TAMUC, 2013-2019
• Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, 2007-2013
• Assistant Research Professor, University of Nevada, 2003-2007

Research Funding

• $216,267, National Science Foundation, 2018-2021
• $291,600, U.S. Department of Energy Grant, 2010
• $310,000, National Science Foundation, 2008-2012

Awards and Honors

• Faculty Senate Recognition Award for Professional Excellence: “Fearless Investigation,” TAMUC, 2017
• Provost Award: Research and Creative Activity, TAMUC, 2011
• Outstanding Professor and Researcher EB-1 Visa Award, University of Nevada, 2006
• Ph.D. Phil. Research Award, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK, 1996-1999

Professional Organizations

• American Society of Mass Spectrometry
• American Chemical Society

Selected Publications

• Comparison of the pH-dependent formation of His and Cys heptapeptide complexes of nickel(II), copper(II), and zinc(II) as determined by ion mobility – mass spectrometry Enas N. Yousef and Laurence A. Angel J. Mass Spectrum. Accepted for publication 12/13/2019.
• Weak Acid-Base Interactions of Histidine and Cysteine Affect the Charge States, Tertiary Structure, and Zn(II)-binding of Heptapeptide Yu-Fu, Lin, Enas N. Yousef, Efren Torres, Linh Truong, James M. Zahnow, Cole B. Donald, Ying Qin, and Laurence A. Angel J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2019, 30, 2068-2081.
• Direct Dynamics Simulations of Fragmentation of a Zn(II)-2Cys-2His Oligopeptide. Comparison with Mass Spectrometry Collision-Induced Dissociation Malik A. Rao, Yu-Fu Lin, Subha Pratihar, Laurence A. Angel, and William L. Hase J. Phys. Chem. 2019, 123, 6868-6885.
• Ion Mobility – Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides Enas N. Yousef, Ramakrishna Sesham, Jacob W. McCabe, Rajpal Vangala. and Laurence A. Angel J. Vis. Exp. (151), e60102, doi:10.3791/60102 (2019). Video URL: https://www.jove.com/video/60102

Featured Courses

CHEM 340 Quantitative & Instrumental Analysis
CHEM 541 Advanced Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 441 Instrumental Analysis