• Projects

  Fungal Host-Pathogen Interactions and Disease Resistance in Cereal Crops In-House Appropriated (D)   Accession Number:441790

  Determining the Roles of Fusarium Effector Proteases in Plant Pathogenesis Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement (R)   Accession Number:443176

• Publications

  • (Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)
  • Diverse epistatic effects in barley-powdery mildew interactions localize to host chromosome hotspots -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Velasquez-Zapata, V., Smith, S., Priyanka, S., Chapman, A.V., Jaiswal, N., Helm, M.D., Wise, R.P. 2024. Diverse epistatic effects in barley-powdery mildew interactions localize to host chromosome hotspots. iScience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.111013.
    
  • Genome-informed trophic classification and functional characterization of virulence proteins from the maize tar spot pathogen Phyllachora maydis -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Rogers, A., Jaiswal, N., Roggenkamp, E., Kim, H., MacCready, J.S., Chilvers, M.I., Scofield, S.R., Iyer-Pascuzzi, A.S., Helm, M.D. 2024. Genome-informed trophic classification and functional characterization of virulence proteins from the maize tar spot pathogen Phyllachora maydis. Phytopathology. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-01-24-0037-R.
    
  • Mechanisms of infection and response of the fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici during compatible, incompatible and non-host interactions-(Abstract Only)
    Gomez, S.V., Million, C.R., Jaiswal, N., Gribskov, M., Helm, M.D., Goodwin, S.B. 2024. Mechanisms of infection and response of the fungal wheat pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici during compatible, incompatible and non-host interactions. Fungal Genetics Conference Proceedings. ABSTRACT.
    
  • Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 induces defense responses in diverse maize inbred lines -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Jaiswal, N., Helm, M.D. 2024. Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 induces defense responses in diverse maize inbred lines. PhytoFrontiers. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-11-23-0149-SC.
    
  • Uncovering the Infection Strategy of Phyllachora maydis during Maize Colonization: A Comprehensive Analysis -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Caldwell, D., Da Silva, C., McCoy, A., Avila, H., Bonkowski, J., Chilvers, M., Helm, M.D., Telenko, D., Iyer-Pascuzzi, A. 2024. Uncovering the Infection Strategy of Phyllachora maydis during Maize Colonization: A Comprehensive Analysis. Phytopathology. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-08-23-0298-KC.
    
  • Identification and Characterization of Candidate Effectors from the Wheat Pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici-(Abstract Only)
    Gomez, S., Million, C., Jaiswal, N., Helm, M.D., Goodwin, S.B. 2023. Identification and Characterization of Candidate Effectors from the Wheat Pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. International Congress of Plant Pathology Abstracts and Proceedings. ABSTRACT.
    
  • Identification and Characterization of Candidate Effectors from the Wheat Pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici-(Abstract Only)
    Gomez, S., Million, C., Jaiswal, N., Helm, M.D., Goodwin, S.B. 2023. Identification and Characterization of Candidate Effectors from the Wheat Pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. ABSTRACT.
    
  • Analysis of cell death induction by the barley NLR immune receptor PBR1 -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Jaiswal, N., Myers, A., Cameron, T.L., Carter, M.E., Scofield, S.R., Helm, M.D. 2023. Analysis of cell death induction by the barley NLR immune receptor PBR1. PhytoFrontiers. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-01-23-0005-R.
    
  • Identification and initial characterization of effector candidate genes in the wheat fungus Zymoseptoria tritici expressed during infection-(Abstract Only)
    Gomez, S.V., Million, C., Helm, M.D., Jaiswal, N., Goodwin, S.B. 2023. Identification and initial characterization of effector candidate genes in the wheat fungus Zymoseptoria tritici expressed during infection. European Conference on Fungal Genetics Proceedings. ABSTRACT.
    
  • The sorghum ANTHRACNOSE RESISTANCE GENE 2 encodes a NLR protein that confers resistance to anthracnose -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Mewa, D.B., Lee, S., Liao, C., Souza, A.M., Adeyanju, A., Helm, M.D., Lisch, D., Mengiste, T. 2022. ANTHRACNOSE RESISTANCE GENE 2 confers fungal resistance in sorghum. Plant Journal. 113(2):308-326. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.16048.
    
  • Candidate effector proteins from the maize tar spot pathogen Phyllachora maydis localize to diverse plant cell compartments -(Peer Reviewed Journal)
    Helm, M.D., Singh, R., Hiles, R., Jaiswal, N., Myers, A., Iyer-Pascuzzi, A., Goodwin, S.B. 2023. Candidate effector proteins from the maize tar spot pathogen Phyllachora maydis localize to diverse plant cell compartments. Phytopathology. 112(12):2538-2548. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-05-22-0181-R.
    
  • Candidate effector proteins from the maize tar spot pathogen Phyllachora maydis localize to diverse plant cell compartments-(Abstract Only)
    Helm, M.D., Singh, R., Hiles, R., Myers, A., Iyer-Pascuzzi, A.S., Goodwin, S.B. 2022. Candidate effector proteins from the maize tar spot pathogen Phyllachora maydis localize to diverse plant cell compartments. American Phytopathological Society Abstracts. Plant Health 2022. 6-10 Aug 2022, Pittsburgh, PA.
    
  • Molecular mechanism & structure — zooming in on plant immunity -(Review Article)
    Helm, M.D., Margets, A., Rima, S., Carter, M.E. 2021. Molecular mechanism & structure — zooming in on plant immunity. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. 12:1346-1349. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-08-21-0208-MR.
    

• ARS News Articles

  Strengthening Sorghum Against a Worldwide Fungal Threat

Matthew Helm

 

Email: Matthew.Helm@usda.gov

Address: 915 Mitch Daniels Blvd

West Lafayette, IN 47907

 

Areas of Expertise

Molecular plant-microbe interactions

Molecular plant pathology

Plant disease resistance

Agricultural biotechnology

 

Research interest

Dr. Matthew Helm is a Research Molecular Biologist with the Crop Production and Pest Control Research Unit at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana specializing in molecular plant pathology. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Manchester University and earned his PhD from Indiana University, and completed his postdoctoral training with the Crop Production and Pest Control Research Unit. Research in the Helm lab is centered on understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms that underlie fungal pathogenicity as well as resistance against these organisms. His research projects involve studies in cereal grains (wheat, barley, and maize) as well as model host plants such as Nicotiana benthamiana. The three major research foci in the Helm lab are aimed at: 1) investigating the molecular interactions between maize and the tar spot fungal pathogen (Phyllachora maydis) with a focus on how effector proteins contribute to fungal virulence, 2) dissecting how intracellular immune receptors (NLR proteins) from cereal grains (wheat, barley, maize, and sorghum) activate immune signaling in response to plant pathogens, and 3) determining the roles of Fusarium graminearum effector proteases in plant pathogenesis with the goal bioengineering genetic-based resistance against this fungal pathogen.

 

Education

B.S., Biology, 2013

Manchester University

Ph.D., Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology, 2019

Indiana University