Office hours

  • Monday and Friday, 2 pm - 4 pm
 

Interests

  • Bioorganic Chemistry
 
Home › Chemistry › Eric Helms

Eric Helms

Assistant Professor of

Chemistry

 ISC 326H
1 College Circle
Geneseo, NY 14454
585-245-5927
helms@geneseo.edu

Helms

Eric Helms has been a member of the Geneseo faculty since 2001.

Faculty Information

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
  • B.S., Rockford College, Rockford, Illinois

Research Interests

  • Our current group is primarily concerned with isolating a halogenated polyacetlyene compound from Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis Margaritacea) and the enzyme responsible for its halogenation.
  • Our other research interests are in the field of polyclonal cataytic antibodies. Catalytic antibodies are an exciting class of catalysts that offer catalytic activity combined with programmable specificity reminiscent of natural enzymes. For example, catalytic antibodies have been produced that exhibit substrate specificity, regioselectivity, and stereoselectivity.

    Publications

    • Arpaia, N.; Widener, M.; Helms, E.; "Assigning the NMR Spectrum of Glycidol: An Advanced Organic Chemistry Exercise"; Journal of Chemical Education, 2007, 84(8), 1328 - 1330.
    • Odenbaugh, Amy L. , Helms, Eric D., Iverson, Brent L.; "An Investigation of Antibody Acyl Hydrolysis Catalysis Using a Large Set of Related Haptens"; Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry,2000,8, 413-426.
    • Shreder, K., Thomas, R., Wallace, M., Helms, E., Iverson, B.; "Evolution of Catalytic Activity throughout a Polyclonal Immune Response Elicited by a Transition-State-Analog Hapten."; Isr. J. Chem., 1996, 36, 215-220.
My Classes

Chem 213:
Organic Chemistry II

    Continuation of CHEM 211 with emphasis on the biochemically important alcohol, amine, carbonyl and aromatic functional groups. Structure elucidation by spectroscopic methods is also explored. Prerequisites: CHEM 211. Credits: 3(3-0) Offered every spring

Chem 216:
Organic Chemistry Laboratory

    Laboratory practices in representative organic preparations and procedures. Prerequisites: /Corequisite: CHEM 211. Offered every fall and spring

Chem 300:
Principles of Biochemistry

    A one-semester survey of the chemistry of living organisms. Topics studied include enzymes and enzyme kinetics, proteins, nucleic acids and protein synthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis, metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and nitrogen-containing compounds. Prerequisites: CHEM 213 and CHEM 216. Offered every spring

Chem 315:
Bioorganic Chemistry

    This course will survey several main classes of natural products (secondary metabolites), their biosynthesis, typical structures, biological properties, and structural elucidation. Special attention will be paid to mechanistic aspects of biosynthesis. The social and historical uses of natural products will also be considered. Prerequisites: 1 year of organic chemistry and 1 semester of biochemistry. Not offered on a regular basis.