Richard Helm

About

Richard Helm is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Virginia Tech, where he also serves as the Director of the Virginia Tech Mass Spectrometry Incubator. His research focuses on using mass spectrometry to answer biological questions across all kingdoms of life, with key expertise in proteomics and metabolomics, which involve the analysis, identification, and quantification of proteins and metabolites. His laboratory primarily utilizes liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze samples for detecting and measuring levels of proteins and small molecules. Dr. Helm's work involves collaborative projects that include studying neuraminic acid levels in beef, proteomics and metabolomics of the Hellbender salamander, and various microbial, plant-based, and animal-based research projects. His research aims to understand biological networks, inter-cellular signaling, and lipid analysis, among other areas, contributing to the broader understanding of biological systems through advanced mass spectrometry techniques.

Research topics

• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Microbiology
• Genetics
• Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Chemistry
• Agronomy
• Bioinformatics

Selected publications

• The unusual cell wall of the Lyme disease spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi is shaped by a tick sugar

  Nature Microbiology · 2021 · 37 citations

  Peptidoglycan-a mesh sac of glycans that are linked by peptides-is the main component of bacterial cell walls. Peptidoglycan provides structural strength, protects cells from osmotic pressure and contributes to shape. All bacterial glycans are repeating disaccharides of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) β-(1-4)-linked to N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc). Borrelia burgdorferi, the tick-borne Lyme disease pathogen, produces glycan chains in which MurNAc is occasionally replaced with an unknown sugar. Nucl…

  DOI

• An Updated Perspective on Sinorhizobium meliloti Chemotaxis to Alfalfa Flavonoids

  Frontiers in Microbiology · 2020 · 36 citations

  chemotaxis is insignificant relative to other components released by alfalfa seeds.

  DOI

• The dynamic response of the Arabidopsis root metabolome to auxin and ethylene is not predicted by changes in the transcriptome

  Scientific Reports · 2020 · 30 citations

  While the effects of phytohormones on plant gene expression have been well characterized, comparatively little is known about how hormones influence metabolite profiles. This study examined the effects of elevated auxin and ethylene on the metabolome of Arabidopsis roots using a high-resolution 24 h time course, conducted in parallel to time-matched transcriptomic analyses. Mass spectrometry using orthogonal UPLC separation strategies (reversed phase and HILIC) in both positive and negative ioni…

  DOI

• A Role for Inositol Pyrophosphates in the Metabolic Adaptations to Low Phosphate in Arabidopsis

  Metabolites · 2021 · 29 citations

  2 mutants have shorter root hairs and lateral roots, less accumulation of anthocyanin and less accumulation of sulfolipids and galactolipids. However, phosphate starvation response (PSR) gene expression is unaffected. Interestingly, many of these phenotypes are opposite to those exhibited by other mutants with defects in the PP-InsP synthesis pathway. Our results provide insight on the nexus between inositol phosphates and pyrophosphates involved in complex regulatory mechanisms underpinning pho…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Identification of a family of peptidoglycan transpeptidases reveals that <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> requires noncanonical cross-links for viability

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2024-08-16 · 17 citations

  articleOpen access

  Most bacteria are surrounded by a cell wall that contains peptidoglycan (PG), a large polymer composed of glycan strands held together by short peptide cross-links. There are two major types of cross-links, termed 4-3 and 3-3 based on the amino acids involved. 4-3 cross-links are created by penicillin-binding proteins, while 3-3 cross-links are created by L , D -transpeptidases (LDTs). In most bacteria, the predominant mode of cross-linking is 4-3, and these cross-links are essential for viabili…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R21AI088298

  NIH · $410k · 2013

• NIH Grant RC1DK086655

  NIH · $583k · 2013

Frequent coauthors

• W. Keith Ray

  Virginia Tech

  47 shared

• John Ralph

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  36 shared

• Malcolm Potts

  Berkeley Public Health Division

  34 shared

• Sherry B. Hildreth

  Virginia Tech

  27 shared

• Blaise M. Costa

  26 shared

• Hope Tobey

  26 shared

• Stuart S. Berr

  University of Virginia

  25 shared

• Michael Mykins

  University of Tennessee at Knoxville

  25 shared

Education

• PhD, Forestry

  University of Wisconsin Madison

  1987

• BS, Paper Science Engineering

  SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

  1982

Similar researchers at Virginia Tech

• Dennis R. Deanh-102
• Michael Klembah-29
• Chloe Lahondereh-20