David W. Murhammer

David W. Murhammer is Professor and Department Chair of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at the University of Iowa, specializing in biochemical engineering. He is also a member of the Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing there. Dr. Murhammer received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Oregon State University, and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Houston in 1989. Professor Murhammer was a grad student under Charles F. Goochee. He then joined the College of Engineering in 1989 as Assistant Professor, becoming Professor in 2003.

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Murhammer also worked briefly in the Zirconium refining industry, which sparked his lifelong dedication to chemical process safety.

Research interests and publications

Research interests include baculoviruses, with emphasis on their bioinsecticide production and effects on insect cell cultures.

Murhammer is an editor of Baculovirus and Insect Cell Expression Protocols. He has also made numerous presentations at government and industrial engineering laboratories and conferences. He has written a total of 43 journal articles. Among his major recent peer-reviewed publications are:

• Wang, Y., Oberley, L.W., Howe, D., Jarvis, D.L., Chauhan, G., Murhammer, D.W., “The effect of manganese superoxide dismutase expression in baculovirus infected insect cells,” Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 119:. 181-193, 2004.
• Saarinen, M.A., Reece, J.S., Arnold, M.A., Murhammer, D.W., “Monitoring and controlling the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration within the high aspect ratio vessel (HARV),” Biotechnology Progress,19:1335-1341. 2003.
• Saarinen, M.A., Murhammer, D.W., “The response of virally infected insect cells to dissolved oxygen concentration: recombinant protein production and oxidative damage,” Biotechnology & Bioengineering, 81: 106-114. 2003.
• Wang, Y., Oberley, L.W., Murhammer, D.W., “Evidence of oxidative stress following the viral infection of two lepidopteran insect cell lines,” Free Radical Biology & Medicine 31: 1448-1455. 2001.
• Wang, Y., Oberley, L.W., Murhammer, D.W., "Antioxidant defense systems of two lepidopteran insect cell lines," Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 30: 1254-1262, 2001.

Honors and memberships

He is Associate Editor of Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, and a member of the American Chemical Society; American Institute of Chemical Engineers; American Society for Engineering Education; Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

He regularly teaches courses in "Process calculations", "Engineering flow/Heat exchange", "Chemical process safety", and "Introduction to biochemical engineering".