The laboratory of Professor Helm has recently shifted its research focus towards understanding the biochemistry and cell biology of cell/organism quiescence. In essence what are the processes and strategies used by organisms to turn off metabolic activity and become dormant? Application of such processes to mammalian cells could lead to the development of robust cell-based biosensors, long-term storage of labile cell and cell components, and vaccines that do not require refrigeration. These projects are performed in collaborative fashion with Professor Malcolm Potts as part of the Virginia Tech Center for Genomics (VIGEN). Professor Helm has expertise in protein identification by mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and glycobiology.

Hunsucker, S. W., Klage, K., Slaughter, S. M., Potts, M., and Helm, R. F. (2004) A preliminary investigation of the Nostoc punctiforme proteome. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 317:1121-1127.   [Abstract]

Slotta, D. J., Heath, L. S., Ramakrishnan, N., Helm, R., and Potts, M. (2003)Clustering mass spectrometry data using order statistics. Proteomics 1687-1691.   [Abstract]

Shaw, E., Hill, D. R., Tauber, U. C., Marand, H., Helm, R. F., and Potts, M. (2003) Unusual water flux in the extrapolysaccharide of Nostoc commune (Cyanobacteria). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69:5679-5684.   [Abstract]

Shirkey, B., McMaster, N. J., Smith, S. C., Wright, D. J., Rodriguez, H., Jaruga, P., Birincioglu, M., Helm, R. F., and Potts, M. (2003) Genomic DNA of Nostoc commune (Cyanobacteria) becomes covalently modified during long-term (decades) desiccation but is protected from oxidative damage and degradation. Nucleic Acids Res. 31:2995-3005.   [Abstract]

Potters, M. B., Solow, B. T., Bischoff, K. M., Graham, D. E., Lower, B. H., Helm, R., and Kennelly, P. J. (2003) A phosphoprotein with phosphoglycerate mutase activity from the archeon Sulfolobus solfataricus. J. Bacteriol. 185:2112-2121.   [Abstract]

Wright, D. J., Prickett, T., Helm, R. F., and Potts, M. (2001) Form species Nostoc commune (Cyanobacteria). Inter. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 51:1839-1852.   [Abstract]

Bloom, F., Price, P., Lao, G., Xia, J.-L., Crowe, J. H., Battista, J. R., Helm, R. F., and Potts, M. (2001) Engineering mammalian cells for solid-state sensor applications. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 16:603-608.   [Abstract]

Lei, Z., Jervis, J., and Helm, R. F. (2001) Use of methanolysis for the determination of total ellagic and gallic acid contents of wood and food products. J. Agric. Food Chem. 49:1165-1168.   [Abstract]

Billi, D., Friedmann, E. I., Helm, R. F., and Potts, M. (2001) Gene transfer to the desiccation-tolerant cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis. J. Bacteriol. 183:2298-2305.   [Abstract]

Hunsucker, S. W., Tissue, B. M., Potts, M., and Helm, R. F. (2001) Screening protocol for the ultraviolet-photoprotective pigment scytonemin. Anal. Biochem. 288:227-230.   [Abstract]