Research Briefs: University of California-Davis

Superfund Research Program

Biomarkers of Exposure to Hazardous Substances

Center Director: Bruce D. Hammock
Grant Number: P42ES004699
Funding Period: 1987-2023

Program Links

Research Briefs

• 310 - New Tool Monitors a Flame Retardant in Sediment -- Hammock
  Release Date: 10/07/2020

  Researchers at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center developed a new, inexpensive tool to reliably detect small amounts of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in environmental samples. TBBPA is a flame retardant commonly found in household dust, soil, water, sewage, sludge, and sediments.

• 283 - Researchers Identify Compounds that Reduce Abnormal Blood Vessel Growth in the Eye -- Hammock
  Release Date: 07/11/2018

  Scientists have identified key compounds produced when the body metabolizes omega fatty acids that can reduce the severity of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in mice. By increasing these lipid metabolites and preventing them from degrading, the researchers reduced abnormal blood vessel growth, in part by regulating the movement of inflammatory immune cells into the retina.

• 256 - A New Dilution Tool to Facilitate High-Throughput Assay Techniques -- Pan
  Release Date: 04/06/2016

  A new tool provides a quick and easy way to dilute samples for biochemical and biological analyses. The microfluidic dilution generator, developed by researchers led by Tingrui Pan, Ph.D., at the University of California, Davis Superfund Research Program Center, can serve as a simple dilution device in research laboratories, point-of-care clinical settings, and low-resource environments.

• 243 - Detecting Environmental Chemicals with Novel Immunoassay Technology -- Pan
  Release Date: 03/04/2015

  A new low-cost portable device uses a smart phone to detect the presence and concentrations of BDE-47 (2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether), a type of flame retardant and widespread environmental contaminant. The device uses a lab-on-a-chip (LOC) platform to perform microscale enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), a popular lab technique that uses antibodies designed to measure a specific substance in a sample. The LOC platform performed comparably to the standard ELISA laboratory protocol but in much less time and with much smaller sample sizes.

• 241 - SRP Researchers Determine that Triclosan Promotes Liver Tumor Growth in Mice -- Tukey, Hammock
  Release Date: 01/07/2015

  A collaborative study showed that long-term exposure to triclosan promotes the growth of liver tumors in laboratory mice, raising concerns about its safety for humans. Triclosan is a common antibacterial chemical used in a wide variety of consumer products such as cosmetics, soaps, detergents, and toothpaste.

• 231 - Novel Pathway Involved in Neurodevelopmental Toxicity of PCBs -- Lein
  Release Date: 03/05/2014

  Non-dioxin-like (NDL) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widespread environmental contaminants previously associated with neurological disorders in children. In a new study funded in part by the University of California Davis Superfund Research Program, UC Davis investigators working in collaboration with colleagues at Washington State University demonstrated a novel mechanism of PCB developmental neurotoxicity.

• 225 - Commercial Paper and Rubber Products Contain Activators of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor -- Denison, Di Giulio
  Release Date: 09/04/2013

  Common commercial and consumer products, including newspapers and rubber bands, contain chemicals that are recognized by the body as toxins, according to a collaborative study by researchers at the Duke University and University of California, Davis Superfund Research Program (SRP) Centers.

• 216 - New Highly Sensitive On-Chip Nanoparticle Immunoassay -- Kennedy
  Release Date: 12/05/2012

  A breakthrough in bioassay technology allows detection of attomolar concentrations of biomolecules on a microchip. This new nanotechnology approach to detecting proteins and other compounds increases sensitivity more than 1,000-fold over conventional assays, and yet is affordable and easy to use.

• 213 - Widely Used Antibacterial Agents May Lead to Significant Health Concerns -- Hammock, Pessah
  Release Date: 09/05/2012

  Researchers at UC Davis show that triclosan, a chemical widely used in antibacterial products, impairs heart and skeletal muscle activity in animal models. Other studies link another antibacterial agent, triclocarban, to changes in regulatory pathways in mice and in human cells.

• 207 - Particulate matter pollution: A particular problem for the young? -- Kennedy
  Release Date: 03/07/2012

  Newborns and infants may be uniquely susceptible to harm from tiny particles in air pollution (particulate matter), a study shows. Researchers exposed 7-day-old rats to a level of PM similar to that found in Fresno, Calif., which resulted in biological changes not found in adults rats, including markers of cellular toxicity.

• 204 - CALUX Generation 3 - Enhanced Sensitivity for Low Volume/Low Concentration Samples -- Denison
  Release Date: 12/07/2011

  Firefly genes make the CALUX contaminant detection tool literally light up in the presence of dioxin and related chemicals. New advances make the tool 10- to 100 times more sensitive.

• 181 - Enhanced Detection of Toxic Substances with Phage Library-Enhanced Immunoassays -- Hammock, Gee
  Release Date: 01/05/2010

  U.S. researchers partner with scientists in Uruguay to develop super-sensitive immunoassays, enhancing the ability to detect contaminants in the environment and in exposed individuals.

• 179 - Scaling up from Local Deterministic Measurement to a Regional Probabilistic Model -- Young, Sanborn
  Release Date: 11/04/2009
  
  
• 157 - SBRP Investigators Find Evidence Suggesting a New Type of Endocrine Disruptor -- Lasley, Chen
  Release Date: 01/02/2008
  
  
• 150 - A New USEPA SW-846 Method 4435 for HAH Analysis -- Denison, Clark
  Release Date: 06/06/2007
  
  
• 142 - Nanoparticle Immunoassays - Advances & Spin-offs -- Kennedy, Hammock
  Release Date: 10/04/2006
  
  
• 140 - Bromodichloromethane and Pregnancy Loss -- Lasley, Chen
  Release Date: 08/02/2006
  
  
• 139 - MTBE Biodegradation by Methylibium petroleiphilum gen. nov, sp. nov., a methylotroph of the Betaproteobacteria (formerly known as PM-1) -- Chang, Hristova, Scow
  Release Date: 07/05/2006
  
  
• 132 - Understanding the Mechanisms of Naphthalene-Induced Cytotoxicity -- Buckpitt
  Release Date: 12/07/2005
  
  
• 90 - The Impact of Chlorine on Hexavalent Chromium Emissions -- Kennedy
  Release Date: 06/05/2002
  
  
• 15 - Urinary FSH Assay Developed to Assess Reproductive Health of Both Men and Women -- Lasley
  Release Date: 03/04/1998
  
  
• 1 - Bioassay Developed for Detection of Dioxin-Like Chemicals -- Denison
  Release Date: 08/07/1997