Rich Helm

Synopsis:

Dr. Helm directs the VT Mass Spectrometry Incubator, a facility that uses advanced mass spectrometry techniques to explore complex biological and biochemical questions from all domains of life.

Description:

The workhorses of biological systems, and the value-added products derived from them, are proteins and metabolites. Understanding the physiology of any organism requires ascertaining the temporal connections between the genome, proteome and metabolome under different environmental regimes. Such work is challenging; protein and metabolite levels are dynamic and cell type specific, adjusting in response to environmental inputs and genetic controls. Furthermore, it is not possible to amplify the proteome or metabolome as is the case with nucleic acid technologies, thus one is limited to the compounds produced by the organism. The ability to detect, monitor and quantify key proteins and metabolites in foods, feeds, the environment, and tissues (both plant and amimal) are essential for the advancement of 'translational research.' The VT Mass Spectrometry Incubator collaborates with numerous research groups on campus providing mass spectrometric analyses of metabolites and proteins in an effort to better understand microbial, plant and animal systems, as well as how those systems interact with one another at the molecular level.