The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

Electron Spin Resonance Facility

Garry Buettner, Ph.D.

Research Interests

  • The fundamental chemistry and biochemistry of vitamins C and E
  • Nitric Oxide as a membrane antioxidant
  • The use of the ascorbate radical as a marker for free radical oxidative stress
  • Redox Biology, the chemisty redox state
  • Free radicals in membrane lipid peroxidation
  • Photodynamic Cancer Therapy
  • The role of metals in free radical oxidations. We were the first to demonstrate that adventitious iron can change the results observed in free radical experiments. This work has been honored as a Citation Classic.
    [Citation Commentary]
  • The chemistry of EPR spin trapping
  • Oxidative stress from the environment

Example Publications

  • Hummel SG, Fischer AJ, Maritin SM, Schafer FQ, Buettner GR. (2006) Nitric oxide as a cellular antioxidant. A little goes a long way. Free Radic Biol Med. 40: 501-506.
    [Article PDF][DOI Article]
  • Yoon SS. Coakley R, Lau GW, Lymar SV, Gaston B, Karabulut AC, Hennigan RF, Hwang Sh, Buettner G, Schurr MJ, Mortensen JE, Burns JL, Speert D, Boucher RC, Hassett DJ. (2006) Anaerobic killing of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa by acidified nitrite derivatives under cystic fibrosis airway conditions. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 116: 436-446.
    [DOI Article]
  • Chen Q. Espey MG. Krishna MC. Mitchell JB. Corpe CP. Buettner GR. Shacter E. Levine M. (2005) Pharmacologic ascorbic acid concentrations selectively kill cancer cells: action as a pro-drug to deliver hydrogen peroxide to tissues. Proc of the Nat Acad of Sci of the U.S.A. 102(38):13604-9.
    [Article PDF][DOI Article]
  • Venkataraman S, Jiang X, Weydert CJ, Zhang Y, Zhang HJ, Prabhat C Goswami PC, Ritchie JM, Oberley LW, Buettner GR. (2005) Manganese superoxide dismutase overexpression inhibits the growth of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells, Oncogene, 24: 77-89.
    [Article PDF][DOI Article]
  • Schafer FQ, Buettner GR. (2001) Redox state of the cell as viewed though the glutathione disulfide/glutathione couple. Free Radic Biol Med. 30:1191-1212.
    [Abstract] [Article PDF]

Biographical Information

Honors, Awards & Organizations

Education

Post Graduate Education

  • Fulbright Scholar GSF Research Institute, Munich, Germany, 1985-1987
  • NRSA Senior Fellow NIEHS, North Carolina, 1984-1985
  • NRSA Post Doctoral Fellow Radiation Research Lab, The University of Iowa, 1976-1978

Favorite Quote

It's kind of fun to do the impossible." --Walt Disney