Benjamin Cravatt III
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Franklin Cravatt is a professor in and chair of the Department of Chemical Physiology at The Scripps Research Institute
in La Jolla, California. Considered the co-inventor of activity based proteomics
with Matthew Bogyo, he is a prominent figure in the nascent field of chemical biology
.
Cravatt attended Stanford University
, earning BS in the Biological Sciences and a BA in History. He then received a PhD in Macromolecular and Cellular Structure and Chemistry from The Scripps Research Institute
in 1996, where he worked under the joint supervision of Dale L. Boger
and Richard Lerner
. His early contributions to the cannabinoid field include identification and characterization of the endocannabinoid-terminating enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase, FAAH
, as well as the isolation of the novel soporific compound oleamide
from cerebrospinal fluid
. Since these contributions, his research program has expanded to include proteomics
, metabolomics
, and chemical
methods for functionally annotating the roles of serine hydrolase
enzymes in cancer
and endocannabinoid signaling.
Cravatt is a Cope and Searle Scholar, and the co-founder of ActivX Biosciences. Since 2010, he has been an Associate Editor of Chemical Science, a journal published by Royal Society of Chemistry
.
The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute is an American medical research facility that focuses on research in the basic biomedical sciences. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, with a sister facility in Jupiter, Florida, the institute is home to 3,000 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and...
in La Jolla, California. Considered the co-inventor of activity based proteomics
Activity based proteomics
Activity based proteomics, or activity based protein profiling is a functional proteomic technology that uses specially designed chemical probes that react with mechanistically-related classes of enzymes. The basic unit of ABPP is the probe which typically consists of two elements: a reactive...
with Matthew Bogyo, he is a prominent figure in the nascent field of chemical biology
Chemical biology
Chemical biology is a scientific discipline spanning the fields of chemistry and biology that involves the application of chemical techniques and tools, often compounds produced through synthetic chemistry, to the study and manipulation of biological systems. This is a subtle difference from...
.
Cravatt attended Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, earning BS in the Biological Sciences and a BA in History. He then received a PhD in Macromolecular and Cellular Structure and Chemistry from The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute is an American medical research facility that focuses on research in the basic biomedical sciences. Headquartered in La Jolla, California, with a sister facility in Jupiter, Florida, the institute is home to 3,000 scientists, technicians, graduate students, and...
in 1996, where he worked under the joint supervision of Dale L. Boger
Dale L. Boger
Dale Lester Boger is an American medicinal and organic chemist. Dale Boger was born on August 22, 1953, in Hutchinson, Kansas. He studied chemistry at the University of Kansas , Ph.D. 1980, Harvard University, under Professor E. J. Corey...
and Richard Lerner
Richard Lerner
Richard A. Lerner is an American research chemist. Best known for his work on catalytic antibodies, Lerner is currently President of The Scripps Research Institute , and a member of its Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, in La Jolla, California.-Biography:Lerner grew up in Chicago and...
. His early contributions to the cannabinoid field include identification and characterization of the endocannabinoid-terminating enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase, FAAH
FAAH
Fatty acid amide hydrolase or FAAH is a member of the serine hydrolase family of enzymes. It was first shown to breakdown anandamide in 1993 . In humans, it is encoded by the gene FAAH.-Function:...
, as well as the isolation of the novel soporific compound oleamide
Oleamide
Oleamide is an amide of the fatty acid oleic acid. It is an endogenous substance: it occurs naturally in the body of animals. It accumulates in the cerebrospinal fluid during sleep deprivation and induces sleep in animals...
from cerebrospinal fluid
Cerebrospinal fluid
Cerebrospinal fluid , Liquor cerebrospinalis, is a clear, colorless, bodily fluid, that occupies the subarachnoid space and the ventricular system around and inside the brain and spinal cord...
. Since these contributions, his research program has expanded to include proteomics
Proteomics
Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions. Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, as they are the main components of the physiological metabolic pathways of cells. The term "proteomics" was first coined in 1997 to make an analogy with...
, metabolomics
Metabolomics
Metabolomics is the scientific study of chemical processes involving metabolites. Specifically, metabolomics is the "systematic study of the unique chemical fingerprints that specific cellular processes leave behind", the study of their small-molecule metabolite profiles...
, and chemical
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
methods for functionally annotating the roles of serine hydrolase
Serine hydrolase
The serine hydrolase superfamily is one of the largest known enzyme families comprising approximately ~200 enzymes or 1% of the genes in the human proteome. A characteristic defining feature of this superfamily is the presence of an active site nucleophilic serine that is used for the hydrolysis of...
enzymes in cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and endocannabinoid signaling.
Cravatt is a Cope and Searle Scholar, and the co-founder of ActivX Biosciences. Since 2010, he has been an Associate Editor of Chemical Science, a journal published by Royal Society of Chemistry
Royal Society of Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences." It was formed in 1980 from the merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry with a new...
.
See also
- Fatty acid amide hydrolase
- Activity based protein profiling
- PROTOMAPProtomap (proteomics)PROTOMAP is a recently developed proteomic technology for identifying changes to proteins that manifest in altered migration by one-dimensional SDS-PAGE...
External links
- The Scripps Research Institute
- The Cravatt Lab at TSRI
- ActivX Biosciences
- TR35 Young Innovator 2002
- Interview with Ben Cravatt on the website of the Royal Society of ChemistryRoyal Society of ChemistryThe Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences." It was formed in 1980 from the merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry with a new...
.