![[Department of Plant Biology and Pathology]](http://njaes.rutgers.edu/_common/images/subheads/plantbiopath.gif "[Department of Plant Biology and Pathology]"){kind=small}
Contact Information
Mailing Address
Rutgers University
Department of Plant Biology & Pathology
128 Foran Hall/ Cook Campus
59 Dudley Rd.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
komar@aesop.rutgers.edu
Campus Location
Office: Room 128 Foran Hall, 732-932-8165 ext. 111
Lab: Room 128 Foran Hall, 732-932-8165 ext. 111
Research Interests
Millions of people rely on botanicals and other natural products to prevent disease, maintain wellness, or treat illness or pain. This is particularly true for chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome (obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation) and cancer that are responsible for two thirds of all deaths in the USA. The goal of my research is to develop a strong interdisciplinary program for systematic evaluation of the safety and efficacy of botanicals and natural products; and to fulfill the critical need for additional basic and translational research on the bioavailability and bioactivity of botanicals and their mechanisms of action in treatment or prevention of metabolic diseases.
Thus far, treatment of metabolic syndrome has met a limited success due to a high rate of failure. Development of better and more effective therapies will depend on our increased understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of the disease. Toward this end, my research focuses on several related areas. The first area ai s at discovery of novel drugs of botanical or microbial origin that enhance satiety, decrease insulin resistance, and suppress inflammation using live cell assays. The second area aims at understanding the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome by identifying pathways important in progression of obesity and diabetes using protein chemistry, real time PCR, arrays and animal models; and by studying cellular regulation of substrate metabolism in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. The third area aims at investigating precisely how individual genetic factors influence botanical or natural product response (pharmacogenomics). The ultimate goal is to educate and assist the public in taking greater control of their health through the food choices they make and by increasing awareness of the relationship between diet, natural products, and health.
I also study both historical and contemporary use of ethnobotany with particular focus on the sustainable and ethical bioprospecting for medicinal plants and microorganisms in developing countries.
Publications
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Rutgers Affiliations
Other Affiliations
Dr. Slavko Komarnytsky joined the department in 2004 and was promoted to Research Associate in 2008.