Matt Hemm, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Biological Sciences

Towson University

Towson, MD 21252 USA

 

Office:  Smith 343

Lab:     

Phone: 410-704-2996

Fax:      410-704-2405

 

email: mhemm@towson.edu 

 

Education:

   

    Post-doc  National Institutes of Health

    Ph.D.        Purdue University

    B.S.          College of William and Mary 

 

Courses Taught:

     

    BIOL409    Molecular Biology lecture

    BIOL410    Molecular Biology laboratory

                  

 

Dr. Matt Hemm, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University

 

Research Interests:

 

My lab is focused on identifying and functionally characterizing proteins containing fifty or fewer amino acids.  The prevalence

and physiological function of such small proteins are poorly understood in any organism.  To address these biological questions,

we are using the model bacterium Escherichia coli.  We have recently found that E. coli contains many more small proteins than

had been previously predicted.  Further analysis has shown that many of these proteins are expressed under specific environmental

conditions, suggesting that they have interesting functions in the cell.  Our current goals include continuing to characterize small protein

function in E. coli, in particular those small proteins that are predicted to span the membrane with a single hydrophobic a-helix.  These

transmembrane small proteins make up the majority of small proteins identified in E. coli, and could be performing a wide range of

functions at the membrane.  Ultimately, the information we learn about E. coli small proteins will provide a foundation for investigating

small protein abundance and function in both other bacteria species and eukaryotes.

 

 

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications:

Hemm MR, Paul BJ, Miranda-Rios J, Hobbs EC, Soltanzad N, Storz G (2010)  Small stress response proteins in Escherichia coli

Proteins missed by classical proteomics studies. J Bac 192: 46-58.

 

Fozo EM*, Hemm MR*, Storz G (2008)  Small toxic proteins and the antisense RNAs that repress them. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

72: 579-589.  (*authors contributed equally)

 

Hemm MR, Paul BJ, Schneider TD, Storz G, Rudd KE. (2008)  Small membrane proteins found by comparative genomics and

ribosome binding site models.  Mol Micro 70: 1487-1501.

 

Hemm MR, Rider SD, Ogas J, Murphy DJ, Chapple C. (2004) Light induces de novo phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis

roots.  Plant J 38: 765-778.

 

Rider SD, Hemm MR, Hostetler HA, Li H, Chapple C, Ogas J. (2004) Metabolic profiling of the Arabidopsis pkl mutant reveals

selective derepression of embryonic traits.  Planta 219: 489-499.

 

Hemm MR, Ruegger MO, Chapple C. (2003)  The Arabidopsis ref2 mutant is defective in the gene encoding CYP83A1 and shows

both phenylpropanoid and glucosinolate phenotypes.  Plant Cell 15: 179-194.

 

Franke R, Humphreys JM, Hemm MR, Denault JW, Ruegger MO, Cusumano JC, Chapple C. (2002)  The Arabidopsis REF8 gene

encodes the 3-hydroxylase of phenylpropanoid metabolism.  Plant J 30: 33-46.

 

Franke R, Hemm MR, Denault JW, Ruegger MO, Humphreys JM, Chapple C. (2002)  Changes in secondary metabolism and

deposition of an unusual lignin in the ref8 mutant of Arabidopsis.  Plant J 30: 47-60.

 

Hemm MR, Herrmann KM, Chapple C. (2001)  Atmyb4:  A transcription factor general in the battle against UV.  Trends Plant Sci

6: 135-136.

 

Ralph J, Lapierre C, Marita JM, Kim H, Lu F, Hatfield RD, Ralph S, Chapple C, Franke R, Hemm MR, Doorsselaere JV, Sederoff RR, O'Malley DM, Scott JT, MacKay JJ, Yahiaoui N, Boudet A, Pean M, Pilate G, Jouanin L, Boerjan W. (2001)  Elucidation of new structures

in lignins of CAD- and COMT-deficient plants by NMR.  Phytochemistry 57: 993-1003.

 

Humphreys JM, Hemm MR, Chapple C. (1999)  Ferulate 5-hydroxylase from Arabidopsis is a multifunctional cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase catalyzing parallel hydroxylations in phenylpropanoid metabolism. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96: 10045-10050.

 

  

 

Research Students Mentored at Towson University:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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