Congratulations to the three UC Davis scientists who are sharing the Royal Society of Chemistry's Horizon Team Award for their click-chemistry work that advances chemistry and pushes the boundaries of sciences.

They do UC Davis proud. Very proud.

They are UC Davis distinguished professor Bruce Hammock, who holds a joint appointment with the Department of Entomology and Nematology and the Comprehensive Cancer Center; researcher Christophe Morisseau of the Hammock lab, and Seiya Kitamura, who studied with Hammock and Morisseau while working toward his doctorate as a member of the UC Davis Pharmacology/Toxicology Graduate Group. Kitamura is now a postdoctoral scholar at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla. 

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) applauded the 47-member team of worldwide collaborators “for the development of multidimensional click chemistry, a next-generation click-technology that extends perfect bond creation into the three-dimensional world, opening doors to new frontiers in biomedicine, materials science, and beyond.” 

K. Barry Sharpless of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, who won the 2001 Nobel Prize for Sharpless epoxidation, led the team. “His magic is like the click-chemistry he invented,” Hammock said.

“Barry is probably best known for his development of ‘click chemistry' now used in many fields of biology, engineering and medicine,” Hammock related.  “Click chemistry joins two molecules in such a simple and transparent way that people do not even realize they are using what a chemist would call cycloaddition. Barry's chemistry not only joins molecules, it joins diverse disciplines like engineering and medicine. The special magic of Barry Sharpless is he also joins people across disciplines and continents.“

John Moses of the Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, submitted the nomination on behalf of the team.

The team wrote in its award packet:  “Click-chemistry and particularly the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne-Huisgen cycloaddition (CuAAC), has had a profound impact on drug discovery (for which it was intended). It is now the 'go-to' technology in every corner of molecular science. The introduction of   Sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) in 2014 opened up a whole new world of possibilities for reliable bond-forming technology, particularly for chemical biology applications where the fugacity of sulfur-fluoride functional groups are primed for selective covalent bond formation with active protein sites.”  

'Bench Warmer'
Morisseau described click chemistry “as such a ubiquitous tool in multiple aspects of science that kits are sold and the chemistry utilized without even recognizing where it comes from. Many of the beautiful and informative fluorescent pictures of cells on journal covers are based on click chemistry.”  

Always humble, Morisseau quipped that his role on the team was minor, that of a “bench warmer.”

“Every good team has a few bench warmers,” Morisseau commented, looking through the list of team members, considered the “who's who of modern organic chemistry” at multiple stages of their careers.

UC Davis Distinguished Professor Bruce Hammock  
Hammock said his involvement in click chemistry started when he was on sabbatical leave at UC San Diego.  “Barry explained to me how one could use the SF bonds of SOF4 and related compounds to make additions one at a time and create a defined three-dimensional molecule with high precision.  The potential of these reagents to design new pharmaceuticals and agricultural products was really exciting. Thus, our contribution was being there at the right time to show translation into the real world.”

Hammock is known for his expertise in chemistry, toxicology, biochemistry and entomology. Early in his career, he founded the field of environmental immunoassay, using antibodies and biosensors to monitor food and environmental safety, and human exposure to pesticides. His groundbreaking research in insect physiology, toxicology led to his development of the first recombinant virus for insect control

A member of the UC Davis faculty since 1980, Hammock has directed the UC Davis Superfund Research Program (funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) for nearly four  decades, supporting scores of pre- and postdoctoral scholars in interdisciplinary research in 5 different colleges and graduate groups on campus. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Entomological Society of America.  He is the recipient of scores of awards, including the first McGiff Memorial Awardee in Lipid Biochemistry; and the Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism, sponsored by the America Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. At UC Davis he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chancellor, Distinguished Teaching Award and the Faculty Research Lectureship.

Hammock has authored or co-authored more than 1,200 peer-reviewed publications and holds more than 95 patents in agriculture, environmental science and medicinal chemistry. 

As director of the UC Davis Superfund Research Program, he pioneered trans-disciplinary research across campus, engaging faculty in multiple colleges and schools “to transform the way we treat diseases in multiple species.”

RSC Horizon Prizes
The RSC Horizon Prizes “highlight the most exciting, contemporary chemical science at the cutting edge of research and innovation,” according to its website. “These prizes are for teams or collaborations who are opening up new directions and possibilities in their field, through ground-breaking scientific developments." The mission of the London-based RSC, founded in 1841, is to advance excellence in the chemical sciences.

Resources:

• Horizon Team Award
• Bruce Hammock: Lifetime Achievement Award from Chancellor
• Why Science Is Fun (feature on Bruce Hammock)

His name was Mark and he made his mark and his mark was magical.

We remember when professional ceramic- mosaic artist Mark Rivera of Davis joined fellow artists in May of 2013 to install newly created art projects at the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology's bee garden, the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven on Bee Biology Road.

The talented artist was there to assist the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program, launched and directed by entomologist/artist Diane Ullman, UC Davis professor of entomology and former chair of the department, and artist-educator Donna Billick of Davis, a self-described "rock artist." 

We remember Mark's paint-daubed hands, his gracious humility, and his gentle soul as he worked with Ullman and Billick to install the ceramic mosaic art on the planters at the haven. He and all of us around him were admiring the honey bees: bee motifs on the planters;  bees foraging on the flowers in the half-acre garden; and bees hived at the nearby Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility.

Mark Rivera died in sleep on May 22 at age 49. He would have been 50 on June 10.  

His daughter, Jessica Williams, remembers him as "a kind, compassionate, and genuine soul who touched the lives of many.  He was also a talented mosaic artist and created countless pieces of art throughout his community of Davis, California."

"From a young age, Mark showed great creativity and artistic talent," his obituary in the Davis Enterprise reads. "He was never one to fit into the standard mold that society expected."

"Art and emotion intertwined for Mark. He channeled himself through different mediums, ultimately settling on ceramics, terrazzo and mosaics; these became his 'Mosaic Marks.'

"He was drawn to working on public works of art that were large and impactful. He started with public art in Denver and decided to make the big move in 2000 to Davis for additional opportunities to grow as an artist. He continued with pieces around Davis that reflected the evolution of his soul — having a daughter (Jessica), becoming an uncle (to Josie and Allie) and losing his father."

"His soul and his spirit shined from him and was witnessed by all who met him, leaving an everlasting impact."

"A Celebration of Life is planned for Thursday, June 10, in Central Park in Davis--preceded by an Art Procession from the  Co-Op at 4:30 p.m. The Celebration of Mark's Life will start in the Central Park gardens at 6 p.m. for a sharing of stories by those who experienced various aspects of his life."

Ullman recently wrote on her Facebook page: "Mark was a talented man, very kind and compassionate. He was a wonderful teacher and partner in community-built projects. In the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program, Mark assisted with nearly every installation we did on campus and even helped us install Nature's Gallery in Washington DC. In this go fund me campaign, his family is raising money for his funeral costs and memorial. If you wish to help, the link is here. His art installations grace our daily lives in Davis. He will be terribly missed."

Mark Rivera was indeed a treasure. His fellow artists, colleagues and friends are grieving as they post remembrances on the Go Fund Me memorial page and on his Facebook page.

• "Mark has always filled me with joy. He transformed the world around him. He inspired me and so many others to be better. I miss him terribly."
• "He was an amazing, unique artist and I always remember him as a solid and cheerful person."
• "Mark Rivera was a prolific ceramic & mosaic artist, you literally cannot go anywhere in Davis without seeing his colorful and vibrant installations. He was also an incredibly caring, gentle, and humble man, who seemed to always have a big smile on the ready & a twinkle in his eye." 

Another friend posted author-poet Anita Krishan's quote that captures the artistic magic of the legacy of Mark Rivera: 

“We are mosaics--pieces of light, love, history, stars--glued together with magic and music and words.” 

Resources:

• The Art of Mark Rivera
• Plant Plaza Mosaic
• New Davis Art Has Roots in Solano
• How the Honey Bee Haven Came to 'Bee'
• Bee Garden Timeline

Have you seen Brood X cicadas up close and personal?

If not, you're probably in the wrong state. Or not there at the right time.

Brood X is appearing in 15 eastern-central states of our nation (Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.) These periodical circadas have spent the last 17 years underground feeding on sap and underground roots. They emerge when the soil temperatures reach about 64 degrees.

Once they emerge, they spend two to four weeks "courting, mating, flying, driving people crazy, being eaten by everything," Michael Raupp, emeritus professor of entomology at the University of Maryland told USA Today in a May 18th news story.

So we asked UC Davis alumnus Kelly Hamby if she could send us a few photos of Brood X for a brief Bug Squad blog.

Hamby, an associate professor/Extension specialist in the University of Maryland's Department of Entomology, captured these images of Brood X in Maryland in mid-May. She photographed two aggregations at the Patuxtent Research Reserve, Laurel, and an individual one at the Horsepen Branch Park, Bowie.

Hamby, who studied for her doctorate with major professor Frank Zalom, UC Davis distinguished professor of entomology and a former president of the 7000-member Entomological Society of America (ESA), received her PhD from UC Davis in 2014. Her dissertation on "Biology and Pesticide Resistance Management of Drosophila suzukii in Coastal California Berries" covered monitoring, yeast associations, chronobiology,chronotoxicity of insecticides, and the implications of this work to managing a recent invader, the spotted wing drosophila. An excellent scholar and entomologist, Hamby received the 2014 John Henry Comstock Award, the highest graduate student honor in the Pacific Branch of ESA, which covers 11 western states, parts of Canada  and Mexico, and seven U.S. territories.

If you've been following the news, you know that there are three species of these 17-year Brood X cicadas: Magicicada septendecim, M. cassinii and M. septendecula. You also know the cicada is considered one of the world's loudest insects; that males calling for mates are unaware of any noise ordinance violations or human sleeping preferences. 

Enjoy these wonderful images by Kelly Hamby. Thanks, Kelly!

What's better than a mint on your pillow?

A mint moth in your garden!

We ran across this colorful mint moth, Pyrausta californicalis (as identified by UC Davis distinguished professor Art Shapiro) on May 20 in a Vacaville bed of tall lavender.  

"Although native, it occurs almost exclusively in gardens, where it breeds on any species of Mentha (mint)," Shapiro says. "It has multiple broods, most of the year. When we grew mint we had it up the yazoo in our garden. Pretty little thing!"

Pretty? Yes, it is.

It's in the family Crambidae. We've never seen it feeding on Mentha species. We've seen it only on lavender, sharing nectar with buzzing honey bees.

The Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis hosts an annual Moth Night (but hasn't during the pandemic due to restrictions). 

National Moth Night will be observed July 17-25 this year.  That's when entomologists and insect enthusiasts celebrate the beauty, life cycles and habitats of moths. 

On the National Moth Night website, you'll learn

• Moths are among the most diverse and successful organisms on earth.
• Scientists estimate there are 150,000 to more than 500,000 moth species.
• Their colors and patterns are either dazzling or so cryptic that they define camouflage. Shapes and sizes span the gamut from as small as a pinhead to as large as an adult's hand.
• Most moths are nocturnal, and need to be sought at night to be seen – others fly like butterflies during the day.
• Finding moths can be as simple as leaving a porch light on and checking it after dark. Serious moth aficionados use special lights and baits to attract them.

Make mine mint...