MUSC COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

What MUSC COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE does

The Hartman Lab is an academic research laboratory in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), founded in October 2020 by Dr. Jessica Hartman. The lab investigates how metabolism drives individual variation in response to chemical exposures, with a central focus on cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and its roles in drug toxicity, alcohol metabolism, neurotoxicology, and metabolic disease. Research employs a multi-organism platform spanning Caenorhabditis elegans, mammalian cell culture (HepG2, PC-12, HepaRG), rodent models, and human tissue samples, enabling cross-validation of mechanistic findings from invertebrates to mammals. Core technical differentiators include novel approaches to CYP2E1 subcellular localization (mitochondria versus endoplasmic reticulum), a proprietary C. elegans swimming exercise model for studying neuroprotection, and a method for generating stable tetraploid C. elegans lines.

The lab's revenue model is grant-based with no commercial products or services. Funding streams include competitive NIH grants (an R35 MIRA from NIGMS, an R01 from NIAAA, and a K99/R00 from NIEHS), an NSF Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (StressCURE) award, American Cancer Society and Hollings Cancer Center institutional research grants, and MUSC Digestive Disease Research Core Center pilot funding. The team comprises approximately 15 members: one faculty PI, four PhD candidates, two research specialists, one postdoctoral fellow, and multiple undergraduate researchers. Distribution of findings occurs through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations (Society of Toxicology, American Chemical Society, ASIP, AASLD), and academic collaborations with laboratories at Duke, Rutgers, UAMS, UNC, Wayne State, and within MUSC. The lab operates from the MUSC Children's Research Institute Building in Charleston, SC, as a non-commercial unit within a public state university.

Name

MUSC COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE

Legal name

The Hartman Lab at Medical University of South Carolina

Website

https://thehartmanlab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Hartman Lab at MUSC is an academic research laboratory studying how metabolism drives individual variation in chemical exposure response, with a central focus on cytochrome P450 2E1 across C. elegans, rodent, cell culture, and human tissue models. It is funded entirely through NIH, NSF, and institutional grants and produces peer-reviewed publications and trained biomedical researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Biomedical Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

In Vitro Toxicology (Cell-based/Organ-on-chip) (HLAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Translational & Pharmacodynamic Biomarkers (MOA, target engagement, PD/PK-linked markers) (HLAAAMAD), Genomic & Multi-Omic Biomarkers (NGS panels, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) (HLAAAMAJ)

Keywords

• Academic biomedical research
• Cytochrome P450 toxicology
• Xenobiotic metabolism studies
• Neuroprotection research
• Graduate research training

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. NIH Research Grants: Federally funded research through NIH institutes including NIGMS (R35 MIRA), NIAAA (K99/R00, R01), and NIEHS. Grants fund specific research projects on CYP2E1 function, alcohol metabolism, and neurotoxicity.
2. Institutional Funding: Pilot and feasibility awards from MUSC Digestive Disease Research Core Center (DDRCC) and American Cancer Society/Hollings Cancer Center institutional research grants

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Hartman Lab at MUSC conducts academic research on metabolism and toxicology, with a central focus on how the cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) enzyme drives individual responses to chemical exposures including drugs, pollutants, and alcohol. Research uses multiple complementary model systems (C. elegans, mice, HepG2/PC-12/HepaRG cell culture, and human tissue) to study xenobiotic metabolism, metabolic conditioning from diet and exercise, mitochondrial CYP2E1's role in acetaminophen and trichloroethylene toxicity, brain CYP2E1 in alcohol drinking behavior and withdrawal, ketogenic diet effects on CYP2E1 and GABA signaling, exercise-induced neuroprotection of dopaminergic neurons, and the extracellular function of MANF. The lab also trains graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduate researchers through MUSC's biomedical PhD, SURP, PREP, and NSF StressCURE programs.

Product overview

The Hartman Lab at MUSC is a research laboratory focused on metabolism and toxicology, studying how metabolism drives individual response to chemical exposures. The lab conducts scientific research using multiple model organisms (C. elegans, mice, cell culture, human samples) to investigate cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and related metabolic pathways. The lab's research areas include xenobiotic metabolism, metabolic conditioning from diet and exercise, the physiological role of CYP2E1, mitochondrial CYP2E1 in toxicity, brain CYP2E1 and neurotoxicity, the ketogenic diet's influence on CYP2E1 activity, exercise's neuroprotective effects, and MANF function. This is not a commercial product or service company — it is an academic research laboratory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Discovered that complete loss of CYP2E1 produces unexpected abnormalities in liver, particularly in female mice, including impaired mitochondrial function and reduced mitochondrial DNA copy number
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered collaborator and core.

• Kassotis Lab (Chris Kassotis, Ph.D.)collaboratorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Uses zebrafish, cell culture, and mice to study adipogenesis driven by exposures to environmental chemicals and pharmaceuticals at Wayne State University.
• Mindy Engevik Lab (Mindy Engevik, Ph.D.)collaboratorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Studies bacterial communities in microbiome, bacterial metabolism and oxygen utilization, and bacteria interactions with mucus at MUSC. Multiple collaborative projects ongoing.
• Patrick Mulholland, Ph.D.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Studies molecular mechanisms by which chronic alcohol leads to excessive drinking and cognitive impairments at MUSC Charleston Alcohol Research Center. Collaborative project on alcohol metabolism in brain.
• Tim Barnoud, Ph.D.collaboratorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2023Collaborative project on mitochondria-localized HSP70 in liver cells, cancer tissues, and worms. Project launching new collaboration between Hartman and Barnoud labs at MUSC.
• Cynthia Moylan, M.D.collaboratorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2021Clinical collaborator on DDRCC pilot project studying mitochondrial CYP2E1 in NAFLD using human liver tissue from patients. Based at Duke University.
• John Lemasters, M.D., Ph.D.collaboratorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2021Co-investigator on DDRCC pilot project on subcellular targeting of CYP2E1 in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease at MUSC.
• Gordon Lab (Kacy Gordon, Ph.D.)collaboratorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Collaborates on germline stem cell research in C. elegans and interactions between germ stem cells and somatic sheath cells. Kacy Gordon is now assistant professor at UNC Biology.
• Tighe Laboratory (Robert Tighe, M.D.)collaboratorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Studies susceptibility factors and candidate pathways relevant to host biological responses to environmental pollutants affecting respiratory health at Duke University.
• Molecular Mechanisms of Cellular Stress and Inflammation Unit (Brandon Harvey, Ph.D.)collaboratorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Focuses on role of endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation in neuronal dysfunction caused by substance abuse or neurodegenerative diseases at NIDA IRP.
• Driscoll Lab (Monica Driscoll, Ph.D.)collaboratorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Uses C. elegans to decipher molecular mechanisms of neuronal degeneration, regeneration, and biology of aging at Rutgers.
• Meyer Lab (Joel Meyer, Ph.D.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Studies effects of environmental stressors on mitochondrial function and mitochondrial DNA damage working primarily in C. elegans and cell culture at Duke University. Dr. Hartman did postdoctoral work here.
• Miller Lab (Grover Miller, Ph.D.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020Studies xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes with focus on oxidative metabolism and cytochromes P450 at UAMS. Dr. Hartman completed PhD in this lab.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Charles River Laboratories: Major preclinical CRO with extensive toxicology and drug metabolism services including in vitro toxicology, genetic toxicology, and safety assessment — directly comparable to the type of contracted research that Hartman Lab's mechanistic work could inform and that often leverages similar model organisms and CYP enzyme expertise.
• Lovelace Biomedical: Independent preclinical research organization with toxicology and drug metabolism capabilities. Comparable in conducting preclinical toxicology research using similar model systems and CYP enzyme expertise.
• The Scripps Research Institute: Major biomedical research institute with extensive programs in drug metabolism, cytochrome P450 enzymology, and translational pharmacology. Highly comparable as an academic research organization conducting mechanistic research on CYP enzymes and toxicology.

Broad incumbents

• Labcorp Drug Development: Large CRO offering preclinical and clinical drug development services including toxicology and DMPK support. Comparable in the type of drug metabolism and toxicology research it conducts, though operating at much greater scale and serving commercial clients.
• ICON plc: Global CRO with preclinical and laboratory services including drug metabolism and toxicology. Comparable in providing outsourced drug development research, though operating at commercial scale across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Eurofins Scientific: Large testing services provider with pharmaceutical and toxicology testing capabilities. Comparable in providing contract laboratory and toxicology research services, though serving a broader testing market.
• WuXi AppTec: Global CRO with preclinical toxicology and laboratory testing services including in vitro toxicology assays. Comparable in offering preclinical drug safety and metabolism research services, though at global commercial scale.

Emerging players

• The Jackson Laboratory: Independent research institute specializing in mammalian genetics and mouse model research. Comparable in expertise with mouse models and in vivo toxicology research, particularly the Collaborative Cross mouse panel that Hartman Lab uses.
• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: Research institution focused on cancer biology, neuroscience, and quantitative biology with model organism expertise. Comparable as an academic research entity using C. elegans and other models to study metabolic and stress response pathways.
• Battelle: Applied research organization with life science research including toxicology and environmental health. Comparable in performing government and commercially funded research on chemical exposures and toxicology mechanisms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/jessica-h-hartman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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