Philip A. Gale

{{Short description|Australian-British chemist}}

{{Infobox scientist

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Philip A. Gale

| image = Phil Gale - 2016 - Sydneysider75.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Gale in July 2016

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1969}}

| birth_place = Liverpool, Lancashire, UK

| nationality = Australian/British

| module = {{Infobox scientist

| embed = yes

| fields = {{Plainlist|

• Supramolecular chemistry

}}

| awards = {{Plainlist|

• RSC Bob Hay Lectureship (2004)
• Corday-Morgan Prize (2005)
• Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award (2013)
• Supramolecular Chemistry Award (2014)
• Izatt-Christensen Award (2018)
• University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award for Outstanding Research (2020)

}}

| workplaces = {{Plainlist|

• University of Technology Sydney
• University of Sydney
• University of Southampton
• Wadham College University of Oxford
• Linacre College University of Oxford
• University of Texas at Austin

}}

}}}}

Philip Alan Gale (born 1969) is an Australian/British chemist, Deputy Dean of Science and Professor of Chemistry at the Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney. He is notable for his work on the supramolecular chemistry of anions.{{cite journal |last1=Gale |first1=Philip A. |last2=Howe |first2=Ethan N.W. |last3=Wu |first3=Xin |title=Anion Receptor Chemistry |journal=Chem |date=September 2016 |volume=1 |issue=3 |pages=351–422 |doi=10.1016/j.chempr.2016.08.004 |doi-access=free }}

Gale was born in Liverpool and grew up in Woolton attending Gateacre Community Comprehensive School.{{cite journal |last1=Busschaert |first1=Nathalie |last2=Caltagirone |first2=Claudia |last3=Van Rossom |first3=Wim |last4=Gale |first4=Philip A. |title=Applications of Supramolecular Anion Recognition |journal=Chemical Reviews |date=12 August 2015 |volume=115 |issue=15 |pages=8038–8155 |doi=10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00099 |pmid=25996028 |doi-access=free }} He moved to Wadham College, Oxford, where he received his B.A. (Hons) degree in 1992 (M.A. Oxon. 1995) then moving in October 1992 to Linacre College where he graduated with a D.Phil. degree in 1995. He then moved to the University of Texas at Austin as a Fulbright Scholar with Prof. Jonathan Sessler. He returned to Oxford in 1997 as a Royal Society University Research Fellow and moved to a lectureship at the University of Southampton in 1999. He was promoted to a personal chair in supramolecular chemistry in 2007 and served as Head of Chemistry at the University of Southampton between 2010 and 2016. He was awarded a Doctor of Science degree by the University of Oxford in 2014. In January 2017 he moved to the University of Sydney where he took up the role of Head of the School of Chemistry{{cite web|url=https://www.journals.elsevier.com/coordination-chemistry-reviews/editorial-board/pa-gale|title=P.A. Gale|website=www.journals.elsevier.com}} and in 2020 Associate Dean (International) in the Faculty of Science. He became interim Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney serving from April 2022 to January 2023 and in February 2023 moved to the University of Technology Sydney to take up the role of Deputy Dean of Science.

Gale's research interests are in supramolecular chemistry and in particular the molecular recognition and transmembrane transport of anions. His early work concerned the design of structurally simple anion receptors and elucidating other processes such as proton transfer that often accompany anion complexation.{{cite journal |last1=Gale |first1=Philip A. |title=Structural and Molecular Recognition Studies with Acyclic Anion Receptors |journal=Accounts of Chemical Research |date=1 July 2006 |volume=39 |issue=7 |pages=465–475 |doi=10.1021/ar040237q |pmid=16846210 }} More recent research has focused on transmembrane anion transport. Gale has designed and synthesised a variety of highly effective classes of anion transporters including tren-based tris-ureas and -thioureas,{{cite journal |last1=Busschaert |first1=Nathalie |last2=Wenzel |first2=Marco |last3=Light |first3=Mark E. |last4=Iglesias-Hernández |first4=Paulina |last5=Pérez-Tomás |first5=Ricardo |last6=Gale |first6=Philip A. |title=Structure–Activity Relationships in Tripodal Transmembrane Anion Transporters: The Effect of Fluorination |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |date=7 September 2011 |volume=133 |issue=35 |pages=14136–14148 |doi=10.1021/ja205884y |pmid=21846096 |pmc=3436094 }} squaramides{{cite journal |last1=Busschaert |first1=Nathalie |last2=Kirby |first2=Isabelle L. |last3=Young |first3=Sarah |last4=Coles |first4=Simon J. |last5=Horton |first5=Peter N. |last6=Light |first6=Mark E. |last7=Gale |first7=Philip A. |title=Squaramides as Potent Transmembrane Anion Transporters |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition |date=27 April 2012 |volume=51 |issue=18 |pages=4426–4430 |doi=10.1002/anie.201200729 |pmid=22461434 |s2cid=34164978 }} and ortho-phenylene-based bis ureas.{{cite journal |last1=Karagiannidis |first1=Louise E. |last2=Haynes |first2=Cally J. E. |last3=Holder |first3=Katie J. |last4=Kirby |first4=Isabelle L. |last5=Moore |first5=Stephen J. |last6=Wells |first6=Neil J. |last7=Gale |first7=Philip A. |title=Highly effective yet simple transmembrane anion transporters based upon ortho-phenylenediamine bis-ureas |journal=Chemical Communications |date=16 September 2014 |volume=50 |issue=81 |pages=12050–12053 |doi=10.1039/C4CC05519E |pmid=25178589 |doi-access=free }} In 2013 Gale and co-workers published a quantitative structure activity relationship study showing that in a series of simple thioureas with one n-hexyl substituent and a phenyl substituent with different groups in the 4-position, the lipophilicity of the receptor is the dominant molecular parameter determining effective transport, with smaller contributions from the receptors’ volume and affinity for chloride.{{cite journal |last1=Busschaert |first1=Nathalie |last2=Bradberry |first2=Samuel J. |last3=Wenzel |first3=Marco |last4=Haynes |first4=Cally J. E. |last5=Hiscock |first5=Jennifer R. |last6=Kirby |first6=Isabelle L. |last7=Karagiannidis |first7=Louise E. |last8=Moore |first8=Stephen J. |last9=Wells |first9=Neil J. |last10=Herniman |first10=Julie |last11=Langley |first11=G. John |last12=Horton |first12=Peter N. |last13=Light |first13=Mark E. |last14=Marques |first14=Igor |last15=Costa |first15=Paulo J. |last16=Félix |first16=Vítor |last17=Frey |first17=Jeremy G. |last18=Gale |first18=Philip A. |title=Towards predictable transmembrane transport: QSAR analysis of anion binding and transport |journal=Chemical Science |date=2 July 2013 |volume=4 |issue=8 |pages=3036–3045 |doi=10.1039/C3SC51023A |hdl=10773/19223 |s2cid=95013961 |hdl-access=free }}

Very recent work has focused on the design of new assays to measure anion transport{{cite journal |last1=Wu |first1=Xin |last2=Howe |first2=Ethan N. W. |last3=Gale |first3=Philip A. |title=Supramolecular Transmembrane Anion Transport: New Assays and Insights |journal=Accounts of Chemical Research |date=21 August 2018 |volume=51 |issue=8 |pages=1870–1879 |doi=10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00264 |pmid=30063324 |hdl=2123/24729 |s2cid=51890600 |hdl-access=free }} and the development of selective transporters.{{cite journal |last1=Wu |first1=Xin |last2=Gale |first2=Philip A. |title=Measuring anion transport selectivity: a cautionary tale |journal=Chemical Communications |date=2021 |volume=57 |issue=33 |pages=3979–3982 |doi=10.1039/D1CC01038G |pmid=33885701 |s2cid=233349341 |hdl=2123/27334 |hdl-access=free }}{{cite journal |last1=Wu |first1=Xin |last2=Judd |first2=Luke W. |last3=Howe |first3=Ethan N.W. |last4=Withecombe |first4=Anne M. |last5=Soto-Cerrato |first5=Vanessa |last6=Li |first6=Hongyu |last7=Busschaert |first7=Nathalie |last8=Valkenier |first8=Hennie |last9=Pérez-Tomás |first9=Ricardo |last10=Sheppard |first10=David N. |last11=Jiang |first11=Yun-Bao |last12=Davis |first12=Anthony P. |last13=Gale |first13=Philip A. |title=Nonprotonophoric Electrogenic Cl − Transport Mediated by Valinomycin-like Carriers |journal=Chem |date=July 2016 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=127–146 |doi=10.1016/j.chempr.2016.04.002 |doi-access=free |hdl=1983/e011b659-e323-496b-942f-048a49fbc7b4 |hdl-access=free }} Gale is notable for his work at the interface of supramolecular and medicinal chemistry showing the effect that anionophores developed in his research group have on biological systems. This includes restoring the flux of chloride through epithelial cell membranes (with potential future application as a channel replacement therapy in cystic fibrosis){{cite journal |last1=Spooner |first1=Michael J. |last2=Li |first2=Hongyu |last3=Marques |first3=Igor |last4=Costa |first4=Pedro M. R. |last5=Wu |first5=Xin |last6=Howe |first6=Ethan N. W. |last7=Busschaert |first7=Nathalie |last8=Moore |first8=Stephen J. |last9=Light |first9=Mark E. |last10=Sheppard |first10=David N. |last11=Félix |first11=Vítor |last12=Gale |first12=Philip A. |title=Fluorinated synthetic anion carriers: experimental and computational insights into transmembrane chloride transport |journal=Chemical Science |date=2019 |volume=10 |issue=7 |pages=1976–1985 |doi=10.1039/C8SC05155K |pmid=30881627 |pmc=6381411 }}{{cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Hongyu |last2=Valkenier |first2=Hennie |last3=Thorne |first3=Abigail G. |last4=Dias |first4=Christopher M. |last5=Cooper |first5=James A. |last6=Kieffer |first6=Marion |last7=Busschaert |first7=Nathalie |last8=Gale |first8=Philip A. |last9=Sheppard |first9=David N. |last10=Davis |first10=Anthony P. |title=Anion carriers as potential treatments for cystic fibrosis: transport in cystic fibrosis cells, and additivity to channel-targeting drugs |journal=Chemical Science |date=2019 |volume=10 |issue=42 |pages=9663–9672 |doi=10.1039/C9SC04242C |pmid=32055336 |pmc=6984391 }} and causing cell death in cancer cells by triggering apoptosis and interfering with autophagy.{{cite journal |last1=Busschaert |first1=Nathalie |last2=Park |first2=Seong-Hyun |last3=Baek |first3=Kyung-Hwa |last4=Choi |first4=Yoon Pyo |last5=Park |first5=Jinhong |last6=Howe |first6=Ethan N. W. |last7=Hiscock |first7=Jennifer R. |last8=Karagiannidis |first8=Louise E. |last9=Marques |first9=Igor |last10=Félix |first10=Vítor |last11=Namkung |first11=Wan |last12=Sessler |first12=Jonathan L. |last13=Gale |first13=Philip A. |last14=Shin |first14=Injae |title=A synthetic ion transporter that disrupts autophagy and induces apoptosis by perturbing cellular chloride concentrations |journal=Nature Chemistry |date=July 2017 |volume=9 |issue=7 |pages=667–675 |doi=10.1038/nchem.2706 |pmid=28644464 |pmc=5648535 |bibcode=2017NatCh...9..667B }}{{cite journal |last1=Park |first1=Sang-Hyun |last2=Park |first2=Seong-Hyun |last3=Howe |first3=Ethan N.W. |last4=Hyun |first4=Ji Young |last5=Chen |first5=Li-Jun |last6=Hwang |first6=Inhong |last7=Vargas-Zuñiga |first7=Gabriela |last8=Busschaert |first8=Nathalie |last9=Gale |first9=Philip A. |last10=Sessler |first10=Jonathan L. |last11=Shin |first11=Injae |title=Determinants of Ion-Transporter Cancer Cell Death |journal=Chem |date=August 2019 |volume=5 |issue=8 |pages=2079–2098 |doi=10.1016/j.chempr.2019.05.001 |pmid=33791443 |pmc=8009298 }}

Other aspects of Gale's work on transmembrane transport include the first synthetic chloride pumping system that uses fatty acids as fuels to create a chloride gradient across a lipid bilayer membrane,{{cite journal |last1=Howe |first1=Ethan N. W. |last2=Gale |first2=Philip A. |title=Fatty Acid Fueled Transmembrane Chloride Transport |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |date=10 July 2019 |volume=141 |issue=27 |pages=10654–10660 |doi=10.1021/jacs.9b02116 |pmid=31244178 |s2cid=195695655 |url=https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/21239 }} and the development of anion transporters that can be switched by membrane potential gradients{{cite journal |last1=Wu |first1=Xin |last2=Small |first2=Jennifer R. |last3=Cataldo |first3=Alessio |last4=Withecombe |first4=Anne M. |last5=Turner |first5=Peter |last6=Gale |first6=Philip A. |title=Voltage-Switchable HCl Transport Enabled by Lipid Headgroup–Transporter Interactions |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition |date=14 October 2019 |volume=58 |issue=42 |pages=15142–15147 |doi=10.1002/anie.201907466 |pmid=31400024 |s2cid=199519085 |url=https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/21240 }} or by the presence of reducing agents found in higher concentrations in tumours than in healthy tissue.{{cite journal |last1=Fares |first1=Mohamed |last2=Wu |first2=Xin |last3=Ramesh |first3=Deepthi |last4=Lewis |first4=William |last5=Keller |first5=Paul A. |last6=Howe |first6=Ethan N. W. |last7=Pérez-Tomás |first7=Ricardo |last8=Gale |first8=Philip A. |title=Stimuli-Responsive Cycloaurated 'OFF-ON' Switchable Anion Transporters |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition |date=28 September 2020 |volume=59 |issue=40 |pages=17614–17621 |doi=10.1002/anie.202006392 |pmid=32583552 |hdl=2123/23683 |s2cid=220059631 |hdl-access=free }}

Gale is listed as a Thomson Reuters/Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Research in Chemistry{{cite web|url=https://hcr.clarivate.com|title=Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers 2018|website=clarivate.com|access-date=2020-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220122703/https://hcr.clarivate.com/|archive-date=2019-02-20|url-status=dead}} and has received a number of awards for his research including the RSC Bob Hay Lectureship in 2004,{{cite web|url=http://www.rsc.org/Membership/Networking/InterestGroups/Macrocyclic/MASC_Awards/BobHay.asp|title=The Bob Hay Lectureship|website=www.rsc.org}} RSC Corday-Morgan Prize in 2005, a 2013 Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award, RSC Supramolecular Chemistry Award in 2014{{cite web|url=http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Awards/SupramolecularChemistryAward/2014-Winner.asp|title=Supramolecular Chemistry Award 2014 Winner|website=www.rsc.org}} and the International Izatt-Christensen Award in Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry in 2018.{{cite journal |title=Ryoji Noyori ACES Award: M. G. Banwell / Liebig Memorial Medal: W. Schnick / Izatt-Christensen Award: P. A. Gale / Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize: R. Klajn |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition |date=17 September 2018 |volume=57 |issue=38 |pages=12210 |doi=10.1002/anie.201809044 |s2cid=52018834 }} In 2020 he was awarded a University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Award for Outstanding Research{{cite web |url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/science/about/our-people/academic-staff/philip-gale.html |title=Staff Profile }} and was highlighted by The Australian newspaper Research supplement (23 September 2020) as an Australian Field Research Leader (Chemistry & Material Sciences (general)){{Cite web|title=Research September 2020|url=http://specialreports.theaustralian.com.au/1540291/|access-date=2021-07-13|website=Research September 2020}} and in the 2024 issue as the field leader in inorganic chemistry.{{Cite web|title=Research September 2024|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/special-reports/research-magazine/philip-gale-is-the-leading-researcher-in-inorganic-chemistry/news-story/64dd50621eed14b9e724cb919af680f7}}

Gale is the editor-in-chief of Coordination Chemistry Reviews.{{Cite web|url=http://journals.elsevier.com/coordination-chemistry-reviews|title=Coordination Chemistry Reviews - Journal - Elsevier|website=journals.elsevier.com}}