Bruce D. Hammock
University of California, Davis
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Primary Section: 61, Animal, Nutritional, and Applied Microbial Sciences Membership Type:
Member
(elected 1999)
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Research Interests
My laboratory conducts three areas of research that are generally related to agriculture and that have both basic and applied aspects. The first of these is fundamental insect developmental biology, including the study of some of the enzymes involved in metamorphosis. An applied aspect of this work is the development of recombinant baculoviruses for insect control. The second area involves a study of enzymes of the alpha/beta hydrolase fold family of enzymes in vertebrates. This work includes the structural biochemistry of the enzymes, the alteration of their activities by exposure to foreign compounds, and their role in the metabolism of lipids in chemical mediation. The final area concentrates on the development of immunoassays and other biosensor systems for the detection of foreign chemicals in the environment, food, and human body fluids. These assays often represent a significant cost savings, especially when large numbers of samples are analyzed or when the analysis is done in developing countries. They also represent a way to monitor human exposure to pesticides and other foreign compounds.
