- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
DAVIS--Graduate student researcher Sean Kodani of the Bruce Hammock lab, University of California, Davis, has received a fellowship to study omega 3 fatty acids.
The fellowship is from the Center for Content Rich Evaluation of Therapeutic Efficacy (cCRETE), headed by Katherine Ferrara, a distinguished professor and director of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and a newly selected member of the National Academy of Engineering.
The center, cCRETE (pronounced "secrete") is part of the Research Investments in Science and Engineering (RISE) Program.
Kodani's projects will involve continuing the work of Guodong Zhang, who recently received a faculty position at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. While at Davis, Zhang found that metabolites of omega 3 fatty acids reduced angiogenesis, tumor growth and tumor metastasis. "I will be focusing on the specific pathways involved in this phenomena while also investigating the biological activity of other omega 3 metabolites," Kodani said.
"When I first rotated in Dr. Hammock's laboratory I mostly synthesized inhibitors for the enzyme soluble epoxide hydrolase, which is the primary target investigated in our laboratory," Kodani said. "However, my background is stronger in biology and biochemistry than synthetic chemistry, so when I joined the laboratory this was a project where I could incorporate all of those skills."
Kodani, from Orangevale, received his bachelor's degree in molecular toxicology and environmental sciences from UC Berkeley in 2012.
In addition to Ferrara, the leadership of cCRETE includes
- Steven C. Currall, dean and professor of Management Graduate School of Management
- Ralph deVere White, director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and distinguished professor of Urology
- Fredric Gorin, professor and chair of the Department Neurology
- Bruce Hammock, distinguished professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology with a jointappointment in the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Alexander Revzin, associate professor. Department of Biomedical Engineering, and
- Clifford Tepper, associate research biochemist, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine
The center focuses on assays of cell-secreted factors in vitro and in vivo, including exosomes, peroxide, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Cell secreted factors are of interest in 1) gauging the response to therapy with new drugs and 2) the development of an understanding of cell-to-cell communication. The “rich” content to be assessed to understand the impact of cell secretions goes beyond the quantification of traditional markers such as proliferation and apoptosis to evaluate markers of invasive potential, inflammation, “stem-ness,” autophagy and metabolic pathways.
"With respect to the response to therapy, the cost of bringing a new drug to market is now estimated to exceed $1 billion, with the timeline for developing a drug and getting it to market approaching 15 years," according to the website. "During the next 4 years, 9 of the top 10 and 18 of the top 20 best-selling drugs in the world will go off patent. A major challenge for the pharmaceutical industry is their lack of tools to identify promising candidates and to separate the winners from the losers early in the development process. Such tools have the potential to substantially reduce the cost to market for new drugs. To address the critical need for screening tools, a team of cancer biologists, social scientists, bioinformatics experts and bioengineers has formed a single disciplinary group to develop and validate biomarker assays for the effect of new therapeutics.
"In addition, members of the group (Hammock, Gorin, Ferrara) have developed novel therapeutics that effectively inhibit key pathways in cancer and atherosclerosis; the success of these new therapeutics will require biomarkers, which are one focus of our team. Therefore, one important problem to be solved is the creation of high throughput and content rich assays to summarize the impact of therapeutics on cellular functionality. We are developing in vitro cell microsystems where micropatterned co-cultures of cancer and non-cancer cells are juxtaposed with arrays of sensing elements for monitoring downstream readouts of cell-drug interactions. Further, we are developing and applying in vivo imaging approaches to assess specific targets and efficacy."
Hammock holds a joint appointment in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. He directs the campuswide Superfund Research Program, National Institutes of Health Biotechnology Training Program, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Combined Analytical Laboratory.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
DAVIS--Cancer biology researcher Amy Rand, a postdoctoral researcher in the Bruce Hammock lab at the University of California, Davis. has been selected a fellow in the T32 Postdoctoral Training Program in Oncogenic Signals and Chromosome Biology.
“I will be looking at how metabolites of omega-3 fatty acids can protect against cancer,” Rand said. “A previous researcher in the Hammock lab was the first to find a specific metabolite that inhibited the formation of blood vessels which then suppressed the formation and spread of tumors. I aim to further explore the specific mechanism that links omega-3 fatty acid metabolism and their anti-cancer activity.”
“Omega-3 fatty acids are increasingly being used as dietary supplements, and are marketed for their many beneficial health effects,” she said, in explaining the significance of the project. “This research will help us to further clarify the specific relationship between the dietary exposure to and metabolism of omega-3 fatty acids and their role in the regulation of certain cancers.”
Wolf-Dietrich Heyer, professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and director of the T32 Training Grant in Oncogenic Signals and Chromosome Biology, praised Rand for her excellent qualifications, research plan and presentation. "We are confident that your postdoctoral studies in Dr. Hammock's laboratory will lead to significant new insights in cancer biology."
Her future goals? “I have a growing interest in research that lies at the interface between chemistry and biology. Becoming an academic researcher is something I would love to pursue; it would be a fantastic opportunity to explore the relationship between the dietary exposure and metabolism of chemical substances and their corresponding biological activity.”
Long interested in a scientific career, Rand said she's had several inspiring teachers, who played “a big role in my developed interest in the sciences. Becoming a scientist was attractive to me because you use a combination of critical thinking, observation, creativity, and patience to answer important questions. It's very satisfying to work hard at accomplishing a piece of the research puzzle, and then communicating the story that surrounds its significance.”
Rand, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, received bachelor degrees in music and chemistry from Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, in 2007 and her doctorate in environmental chemistry from the University of Toronto in 2013.
Hammock holds a joint appointment in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. He directs the campuswide Superfund Research Program, National Institutes of Health Biotechnology Training Program, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Combined Analytical Laboratory.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
DAVIS--Bruce Hammock, distinguished professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis, has just received notice that the National Institutes of Health has renewed his Research Project Grant (R01) on “Hydrolytic Enzymes in the Metabolism of Toxins” for a five year-period, totaling $2 million.
This amounts to 37 years of continued grant support on inhibitors of the enzyme, soluble epoxide hydrolase, which Hammock discovered can block hypertension and neuropathic pain.
“Our investigation of the soluble epoxide hydrolase enzyme and its fatty acid epoxide substrates led to the discovery that environmental chemicals, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals can alter the enzyme's activity and expression, which in turn affects hypertension, inflammation, pain and other biologies,” Hammock said.
“We are now evaluating inhibitors of the enzyme as powerful probes to understand the mechanism by which this unique class of natural regulatory oxidized-lipids works, and we are finding that these inhibitors show promise in reducing pain, the growth of solid tumors and fibrosis. We found that omega 3 fatty acid epoxides interact positively with these enzyme inhibitors, illustrating that man's total environment, including exposure to chemicals as well as dietary nutrients and life-style, has a major role and should be considered in determining effects on human health.”
Hammock, who holds a joint appointment with the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, directs the campuswide Superfund Research Program, National Institutes of Health Biotechnology Training Program, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Combined Analytical Laboratory. He is a fellow of the Entomological Society of America, a member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, and the recipient of the 2001 UC Davis Faculty Research Lecture Award and the 2008 Distinguished Teaching Award for Graduate and Professional Teaching.
Hammock is the newly announced recipient of the biennial Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism, sponsored by American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) and will receive the award when he keynotes the joint annual meeting of ASPET and the Chinese Pharmacological Society, April 26-20, in San Diego. The award recognizes Hammock's outstanding original research contributions to the understanding of human drug metabolism and transport and the continued impact of his research in the area of drug discovery and development.
For some 40 years, Hammock has worked on the mechanism of certain hydrolytic enzymes and their effect on human health. His work has helped identify new targets for the action of drugs and other compounds to improve health and predict risk from various environmental chemicals
Hammock directs a laboratory of more than 40 scientists and students at UC Davis, where they explore the biochemical basis of human and environment interactions and their implications for improving both human and environmental health.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The award consists of a $2,000 honorarium and a commemorative medal. His work will be published in the journal Drug Metabolism and Disposition.
A member of the UC Davis faculty since 1980, Hammock will receive the award April 28 during the joint annual meeting of the ASPET and the Chinese Pharmacological Society, set for April 26-30 in San Diego. He will present a keynote speech about his research.
The award recognizes Hammock’s outstanding original research contributions to the understanding of human drug metabolism and transport and the continued impact of his research in the area of drug discovery and development.
Hammock, who directs a laboratory of more than 40 scientists and students in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, explores the biochemical basis of human and environment interactions and their implications for improving both human and environmental health.
For more than 35 years, Hammock has worked on the mechanism of certain hydrolytic enzymes and their effect on human health. His work has helped identify new targets for the action of drugs and other compounds to improve health and predict risk from various environmental chemicals.
In selecting Hammock, ASPET acknowledged Hammock’s collaborative studies in drug metabolism and metabolomics. The society also noted his tradition of sharing reagents for research to enable investigators in both the private and public sectors to make substantial advances for the development of potentially useful therapeutic compounds to treat stroke, atherosclerosis, heart failure, renal failure, inflammation and neuropathic pain.
Hammock is best known for his work on epoxide hydrolases and in particular, the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), but also has made major contributions to the esterase field and other enzymes involved in drug metabolism. He has received many awards for his work in agriculture, toxicology and chemistry.
Hammock directs the campuswide Superfund Research Program, National Institutes of Health Biotechnology Training Program, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Combined Analytical Laboratory. He is a fellow of the Entomological Society of America, a member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, and the recipient of the 2001 UC Davis Faculty Research Lecture Award and the 2008 Distinguished Teaching Award for Graduate and Professional Teaching.
Hammock received his bachelor of science degree magna cum laude from Louisiana State University in entomology and chemistry and his doctorate from UC Berkeley in entomology and toxicology, working in xenobiotic metabolism.
KEY DISCOVERIES ON sEH FROM HAMMOCK LABORATORY
- Discovery of sEH (1972)
- First rapid radiochemical assay methods (1979, 1980)
- First spectral and fluorescent assays for the enzyme (1982, 1988, 1994)
- Fluorescent high throughput assay for screening (2005, 2006)
- First high throughput screen (90,000 compound National Institutes of Health library) (2007, PubChem)
- Initial determination of substrate selectivity (1979, 1980)
- Discovery that fatty acid epoxides are good substrates for sEH (1979)
- Discovery that PPAR alpha agonists induce the sEH (1983)
- Development of first antibodies to sEH (1981)
- Development of 1 step affinity purification procedure for sEH (1985, 1988)
- Cloning and expression of rodent and human sEH cDNA (1993)
- First cloning, expression and characterization of a plant sEH (1994)
- Cloning of first sEH gene (1994)
- First irreversible inhibitors (1982)
- Discovery that arachidonate epoxides are substrates of sEH (1983)
- First study of regio and stereospecificity of enzyme (1980, 1993)
- Regio and enantiospecificity of sEH with epoxyeicosanoids (1993)
- First isolation of substrate-enzyme complex (1994)
- Elucidation of the catalytic mechanism of epoxide hydrolases (1995)
- Discovery that linoleate diols are chemical mediators (1997)
- Blocking linoleate epoxide toxicity with EH inhibitors (1998)
- X-ray structure of the sEH (1999)
- Discovery of first transition state mimics of EH (1999)
- Reduction of blood pressure in vivo with sEH inhibitors (sEHI) (2000)
- Development of the first potent mEH inhibitors (2001)
- Characterization of eicosanoid profiles by LC-MS including EETs (2002)
- Demonstration that sEH is a divalent enzyme with lipid phosphatase activity (2003)
- Demonstration that sEHI can treat rodent models of chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (copd) and lipopolysaccharide induced sepsis (2005)
- Demonstration that sEHI shift the entire arachidonate cascade from a pattern of initiation of inflammation to a pattern of resolution of inflammation (2005)
- Founded a company and acquired funding to develop sEHI clinically (2005)
- Demonstrated sEHI synergize COX inhibitors and reduce thromboxanes (2006)
- Optimized picomolar sEHI with good ADME in rodent, canine and primates (2007)
- Demonstration sEHI synergize LOX and FLAP inhibitors (2007)
- Demonstration sEHI are strongly analgesic (2007)
- Demonstration that sEHI are strongly analgesic with neuropathic pain (2008)
- Successful treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain with sEH inhibitor in double blind cross over trial (2012)
- Demonstration that the ω-3 epoxide, DHA, is more potent at reducing blood pressure, pain, and inflammation than ω-6 ARA (2011-13)
- Demonstration that DHA epoxide reduces angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis (2013)
- The sEHI and other compounds from the Hammock laboratory have been used to dissect the basic biology of the P450 branch of the arachidonate cascade and to identify numerous clinical targets ranging from cardiovascular disease to diabetes.
ASPET is a 4800-member scientific society whose members conduct basic and clinical pharmacological research in academia, industry and the government. Their efforts help develop new medicines and therapeutic agents to fight existing and emerging diseases.
Last year’s Brodie Award recipient was Yuichi Sugiyama of the University of Tokyo, a world leader in the pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences via integrative studies on the pharmacokinetics and membrane transport of drugs.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
His interest in “all things bugs” stemmed from his entomologist father, Bruce Hammock, now a distinguished professor at the University of California, Davis.
It was not just entomology and art, though, that interested Tom. He listened attentively to the southern folklore and childhood memories that his father, reared in the Deep South, shared:
Black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck; a mischievous pet raccoon named Willy; the comings and goings of a scientist operating a biological supply company in a swamp; and
the ever-present will-o’-the-wisp lighting up Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Swamp.
Tom Hammock not only drew it all in; he made it his own and then some.
Entomology and art, pyramided with writing, landscape architecture, film production and storytelling, evolved into an original graphic novel, “An Aurora Grimeon Story—Will O’ the Wisp,” authored by Tom Hammock, illustrated by his friend Megan Hutchison and edited by
“It’s about wicked delights and dark things,” said Tom, “and it has a girl-science component.” In fact, it is billed as the first graphic novel with a strong girl scientist as the main character. The publisher, Archaia, will release the book Jan. 28. It is already drawing rave reviews, including “This book shows the beginning of fine careers as creators of stories.”
It has already been nominated for "best young adult graphic novel" award from the American Library Association.
“Almost no one writes for girls and almost no one writes for girls dealing with girls and science,” Tom said. “Graphic novels for girls are rare and have a tough road in the publishing world.”
Assorted bugs, including butterflies, scorpions, fireflies, mosquitoes, beetles and spiders, find their way into the book. So does a pet raccoon named Missy, patterned after Bruce’s childhood pet, Willy.
“As a parent, it is always interesting to see what your kids pick up in their childhood,” said Bruce Hammock, a Little Rock, Ark. native who graduated in 1969 from Louisiana State University (LSU) and then obtained his doctorate in entomology/toxicology from UC Berkeley. “I think my Willy stories were recreated in the tale about Aurora.”
Aurora’s last name is Grimeon, named for one of Bruce’s LSU roommates, Jim Grimeon. “I am so thrilled that so much of this history,” Bruce said, “has resurfaced in Tom’s book.”
Aurora, accompanied by Missy the raccoon, explores the fog-shrouded island as “ghostly things happen and residents disappear,” Tom said. Aurora follows a will ‘o’ the wisp, an eerie blue light floating several feet off the ground. “The will-o’-wisp is a natural phenomenon,” Tom said. “It’s actually a natural swamp gas.”
Quipped Bruce: “I never knew that my family in Arkansas practiced hoodoo—I thought everyone ate black-eyed peas, hog jowl and burned a bayberry candle on New Year’s Day. We still do.”
Bruce and his wife, Lassie, reared their three offspring to love nature. “The Atchafalaya certainly is as much a wilderness as the Sierra Nevada with islands that move with the tides, different cultures, and a rich biological diversity—much of which bites,” said Bruce, who holds a joint appointment with the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology and the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“Tom has always had a love of biology and landscape,” Bruce said. “He was always sketching nature in his childhood. He could not stand to kill insects for his high school insect collection so instead, he made exquisite drawings of insects that he captured.”
Tom, a 1994 graduate of Davis High School, initially studied biology at UC Berkeley and then switched to landscape architecture. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture, he left Berkeley to study film design at the American Film Institute. He then went on to work in such film productions as “Breaking Bad,” “Dexter,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” He is now involved in the hugely popular young adult and horror film genre.
“At first I wanted to be a scientific illustrator,” Tom said. He took private art lessons from Mary Foley Benson of Davis, former chief USDA scientific illustrator at the Smithsonian Natural History. Her work graces Bruce Hammock's office in Briggs Hall and in a conference room.
The Hammock family is a three-doctorate family. In addition to Bruce the entomologist, son Bruce (UC Davis doctorate), is an aquatic entomologist in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and daughter Frances (UCLA doctorate), is a mathematician in San Diego.
Tom, known for his sense of humor, wrote in his biography published on Oscillary Isle website: “My father studies venoms, insects and other odd creatures. As such, most family vacations were spent in the wilderness, often hunting for previously said creatures and their venoms. I've lived a number of places around the world including, but not limited to Australia (home of many venomous creatures) and England (home of not so many venomous creatures.)"
"Presently I live in Hollywood where I drink tea and design films when I'm not writing graphic novels." Some of the films he’s designed include “You're Next,” “All The Boys Love Mandy Lane,” and “V/H/S 2.”
Tom’s parents, Bruce and Lassie, appeared in a 2013 movie that Tom directed and produced. The film, as yet untitled, is expected to be released sometime this year.
“I watched a lot of movies in my childhood,” said Tom, who remembers growing up without a TV or with a black and white TV in high school. One of his favorite films? “Blade Runner.”
Tom recalls working on the film, Dexter, and blowing up a boat. “Then when we arrived at the airport they wouldn’t let us on the plane because of the residue on our hands.”
Meanwhile, Tom Hammock and Megan Hutchison are excited about the graphic novel and pleased with the design. It resembles a diary, complete with lock, and is printed with a gold foil-embossed hard cover. “It looks as if it belongs in Silver’s old library of curiosities,” Tom said.
They are also growing increasingly fond of their adventuresome, strong and science-loving character, Aurora. They are eagerly looking forward to Part 2 of the trilogy.
So are the fans. One online comment: “"OMG!! This was so good. I hope and hope and hope there will be more!!!!"
Another commented: "I love Aurora and everything about this story. The art is fantastic. 10 out of 10.”
Others described it as “deliciously moody,” “impressively creepy” and “a blend of macabre and whimsy (which) makes for some fun and unexpected reading.”
Looking back, entomologist Bruck Hammock said: "Tom was always interested in landscape, art, and biology. However, film and graphic novels are so far from my background I never saw this as a career path. In retrospect it is obvious."
For more information:
Website: http://www.ossuaryisle.com
Book Trailer: http://www.ossuaryisle.com/trailer.html
Preview, PDF: http://ossuaryisle.com/preview.pdf
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ossuaryisle
Preview by Comic Book Resources: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=18246
Goodreads.com: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18125353-will-o-the-wisp
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Will-Wisp-Aurora-Grimeon-Hammock/dp/1936393786
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZf1wJDMSG0
Trending tweets: #WILLOtheWisp
