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Dr. Bruce R. Hamaker

Professor
Director of the Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research

M.S. (Nutrition), Ph.D. (Food Chemistry), Purdue University

Affiliations

Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research

Curriculum Vitae

Research

Primary Research Areas

Carbohydrates and health
Cereal starch and protein structure-function relationships
Cereal chemistry and processing

Specific Research Areas

Manipulation of starch for slowly digestible/low glycemic response or resistant character, and collaborative studies to understand human enzyme digestion and physiologic response
Dietary fiber, modifications in functionality and fermentability, and collaborative studies for colonic health
Improvement of cereal protein functionality
Textural properties influenced by starch fine structure
Interactions between starch and other food components
Appropriate methods of improving cereal utilization in developing countries
Cereal endosperm texture

Teaching

Undergraduate

Cereal Chemistry and Processing
Introduction to Food Law and Regulations

Graduate

Food Chemistry

Industrial

Interaction and research with Whistler Center member companies (www.whistlercenter.purdue.edu); other research projects with cereal snack and breakfast food companies.

International

Principal investigator and US Coordinator of the West Africa Regional Program of the US Agency for International Development Sorghum and Millet and Other Grains Collaborative Research Support Program (INTSORMIL CRSP); other collaborations at Kasetsart University, Thailand, Seoul National University, South Korea, CFTRI, India.

Selected Publications

Oria, M.P., Hamaker, B.R., and Axtell, J.D. 2000. A highly digestible sorghum cultivar exhibits a unique folded structure of endosperm protein bodies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 97:5065-5070.

Han, X.Z., Benmoussa, M., Gray, J.A., BeMiller, J.N. and Hamaker, B.R. 2005. Detection of proteins in starch granule channels. Cereal Chemistry 82:351-355.

Tandjung, A. S., Janaswamy, S., Chandrasekaran, R., Aboubacar, A., and Hamaker, B. R. 2005. Role of the pericarp cellulose matrix as a moisture barrier in microwaveable popcorn. Biomacromolecules 6:1654-1660.

Tesso, T., Ejeta, G., Chandrashekar, A., Huang, C.P., Tandjung, A., Lewamy, M., Axtell, J.D., and Hamaker, B.R. 2006. A novel modified endosperm texture in a mutant high protein digestibility/high-lysine grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Cereal Chemistry 83:194-201.

Han, X-Z., Ao, S., Janaswamy, S., Jane, J-L., Chandrasekaran, R. and Hamaker, B.R. 2006. Development of a low glycemic maize starch: preparation and characterization. Biomacromolecules 7:1162-1168.

Zhang, G., Venkatachalam, M. and Hamaker, B.R. 2006. Structural basis for the slow digestion property of native cereal starches. Biomacromolecules 7:3259-3266.

Lee, S-H. and Hamaker, B.R. 2006. Cys 155 of 27 kDa maize g-zein is a key amino acid to improve its in vitro digestibility. FEBS Letters 580:5803-5806.

Rose, D.J., Demeo, M.T., Kesavarzian, A. and Hamaker, B.R. 2007. Influence of dietary fiber on inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, and the importance of its fermentation pattern (lead article). Nutrition Reviews 65:51-62.

Benmoussa, M., Moldenhauer, K.A.K. and Hamaker, B.R. 2007. Rice amylopectin fine structure variability affects starch digestion properties. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55:1475-1479.

Mejia, C.D., Mauer, L.J. and Hamaker, B.R. 2007. Similarities and differences in secondary structure of viscoelastic polymers of maize g-zein and wheat gluten proteins. Journal of Cereal Science 45:353-359.

Contact Dr. Hamaker
e-mail: hamakerb@purdue.edu

Address:
Department of Food Science
745 Agriculture Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2009 Office: 2195A

Phone: (765) 494-5668