Helen F. Fredricks, Research Associate III
Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MS#4
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Tel: 508-289-3678
Fax: 508-457-2164
hfredricks@whoi.edu
Professional Experience:
Research Associate III, Dept. of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, WHOI, 10/2010 to present.
Research Associate II, Dept. of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, WHOI, 12/2004 to10/ 2010.
Education:
Postdoctoral Investigator, Dept. of Geology & Geophysics, WHOI, 11/2001 to 12/2004. Supervised by
Kai-Uwe Hinrichs (WHOI & DFG Research Center Ocean Margins, University of Bremen, Germany).
Funded by NASA Astrobiology Institute: “Chemotaxonomy of extremophiles”.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dept. of Env. Sciences, University of Plymouth, U.K., 9/2000 - 9/2001.
Supervised by Steven J. Rowland. Funded by the UK government’s Environment Agency:
“Anthropogenic estrogens in waste water effluent”.
Postgraduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Env. Sciences, University of Plymouth, U.K., 7/1998 to
9/1999. Supervised by Steven J. Rowland. Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council
(Managing Impacts in the Marine Environment program).
Ph.D., Organic Geochemistry, University of Plymouth, UK, 2000. “Molecular characterization of fluidized
catalytic cracker feedstocks using ruthenium tetroxide oxidation: A study of model hydrocarbons”.
Supervised by Steven J. Rowland and C. Anthony Lewis. Funded by the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council with additional funding from British Petroleum through a Cooperative
Award in Science and Technology ‘CASE” award.
B.Sc., Analytical Science (1st Class Honors), University of Greenwich, UK, 1994. Including a 13-month
‘industrial placement’ working for Schlumberger Cambridge Research, Cambridge, UK. “Chemistry of
shales and exploring methods of in-situ analysis of novel drilling fluids”.
Research Interests
Lipidomics, Intact polar lipids (IPLs); structural identification, qualitative and quantitative analysis by
liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry.
Professional activities
Presently in the Van Mooy lab I’m expanding on our established analytical method for intact polar lipids,
which we use to determine turnover rates of phosphorus in the ocean and also examine strategies for
survival in low phosphorus environments. Also, I operate & maintain three liquid chromatograph - mass
spectrometers, manage the daily operation of the lab and assist members of the Van Mooy lab group,
which have included visiting scientists, grad students, post docs and other technical staff.
Postdoctoral work at WHOI investigated intact polar lipids as biomarkers for living organisms in marine
and extreme environments. I developed the instrumental techniques for the qualitative structural
analysis of polar lipids derived from bacteria and archaea in culture, in surface and deep sediments and
extreme environments (e.g. hot springs).
Publications
2015
B. A. S. Van Mooy, A. Krupke, S. T. Dyhrman, H. F. Fredricks, K. R. Frischkorn, J. E. Ossolinski, D. J.
Repeta, M. Rouco, J. D. Seewald, and S. P. Sylva. Major role of planktonic phosphate reduction in
the marine phosphorus redox cycle. Science, 2015, 348(6236), p783-785.
Paul Carini, Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, J. Cameron Thrash, Angelicque White, Yanlin Zhao, Emily O.
Campbell, Helen F. Fredricks, and Stephen J. Giovannoni. SAR11 lipid renovation in response to
phosphate starvation. 2015, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. published ahead of print June 8, 2015,
doi:10.1073/pnas.1505034112
Jon Hunter, Miguel Frada, Helen Fredricks, Assaf Vardi, Benjamin Van Mooy. Molecular insights on viral
infection and life cycle phases in Emiliania huxleyi from targeted and untargeted lipidomics.
Aquatic Microbiology. 2015, Submitted.
Marta Sebastián, Alastair F. Smith, José M. González, Helen F. Fredricks, Benjamin Van Mooy, Michal
Koblížek, Joost Brandsma, Grielof Koster, Mireia Mestre, Behzad Mostajir, Paraskevi Pitta,
Anthony D. Postle, Josep M. Gasol, David J Scanlan, Yin Chen. Lipid remodeling is a widespread
strategy in marine heterotrophic bacteria upon phosphorus deficiency. ISME Journal, submitted.
2014
Bellinger, B.J., Van Mooy, B.A.S., Cotner, J.B., Fredricks, H.F., Benitez-Nelson, C.R., Thompson, J., Cotter,
A., Knuth, M., Godwin, C.M., 2014. Physiological modifications by seston in response to
physicochemical gradients within Lake Superior. Limnol Oceanogr. 59 1011-1026.
Fulton, J.M., Fredricks, H.F., Bidle, K.D., Vardi, A., Kendrick, B.J., DiTullio, G.R., Van Mooy, B.A.S., 2014.
Novel molecular determinants of viral susceptibility and resistance in the lipidome of Emiliania
huxleyi. Environ. Microbiol. 16: 1137-1149.
Ray, J.L., Haramaty, L., Thyrhaug, R., Fredricks, H.F., Van Mooy, B.A.S., Larsen, A. Bidle, K.D., and Sandaa,
R.-A. , 2014. Virus Infection of Haptolina Ericina and Phaeocystis Pouchetii Implicates
Evolutionary Conservation of Programmed Cell Death Induction in Marine Haptophyte–Virus
Interactions. Journal of Plankton Research. DOI:10.1093/plankt/fbu029.
Van Mooy, B.A.S., L.R. Hmelo, H.F. Fredricks, J.E. Ossolinski, B.E. Pedler, D.J. Bogorff, and P.J.S. Smith,
2014. Quantitative Exploration of the Contribution of Settlement, Growth, Dispersal and
Grazing to the Accumulation of Natural Marine Biofilms on Antifouling and Fouling-Release
Coatings. Biofouling 30(2) 223-36.
2013
F. Schubotz, D. R. Meyer-Dombard, A. S. Bradley, H. F. Fredricks, K.-U. Hinrichs, E. L. Shock and R. E.
Summons. Spatial and temporal variability of biomarkers and microbial diversity reveal
metabolic and community flexibility in Streamer Biofilm Communities in the Lower Geyser Basin,
Yellowstone National Park. Geobiology, Article first published online: 28 AUG 2013 | DOI:
10.1111/gbi.12051
Popendorf, Kimberly J.; Fredricks, Helen F.; Van Mooy, Benjamin A. S., Molecular Ion-Independent
Quantification of Polar Glycerolipid Classes in Marine Plankton Using Triple Quadrupole MS,
Lipids, 2013, Volume: 48 Issue: 2 Pages: 185-195
2012
Assaf Vardi, Liti Haramaty, Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, Helen F. Fredricks, Susan A. Kimmance, Aud Larsen,
and Kay D. Bidle, Host-virus dynamics and subcellular controls of cell fate in a natural
coccolithophore population, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2012. 109(47) 19327-19332
2010
Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, Helen F. Fredricks, Bacterial and eukaryotic intact polar lipids in the eastern
subtropical South Pacific: Water-column distribution, planktonic sources, and fatty acid
composition. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2010. 74(22) 6499-6516.
Pre-2010
Assaf Vardi, Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, Helen F. Fredricks, Kimberly J. Popendorf, Justin E. Ossolinski, Liti
Haramaty, Kay D. Bidle, Viral Glycosphingolipids Induce Lytic Infection and Cell Death in Marine
Phytoplankton. Science, 2009. 326 861-865.
Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, Helen F. Fredricks, Byron E. Pedler, Sonya T. Dyhrman, David M. Karl, Michal
Koblížek, Michael W. Lomas, Tracy J. Mincer, Lisa R. Moore, Thierry Moutin, Michael S. Rappé
and Eric A. Webb, Phytoplankton in the ocean use non-phosphorus lipids in response to
phosphorus scarcity. Nature, 2009, 458 69-72.
Florence Schubotz, Stuart G. Wakeham, Julius S. Lipp, Helen F. Fredricks and Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Detection
of microbial biomass by intact polar membrane lipid analysis in the water column and surface
sediments of the Black Sea. Environmental Microbiology, 2009, 11(10) 2720-2734.
Alexander S. Bradley, Helen Fredricks, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, Roger E. Summons, Structural diversity of
diether lipids in carbonate chimneys at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field. Organic Geochemistry,
2009, 40(12) 1169-1178.
Tobias F. Ertefai, Meredith C. Fisher, Helen F. Fredricks, Julius S. Lipp, Ann Pearson, Daniel Birgel, Kai M.
Udert, Colleen M. Cavanaugh, Philip M. Gschwend, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs. Vertical distribution of
microbial lipids and functional genes in chemically distinct layers of a highly polluted meromictic
lake, Organic Geochemistry (2008, 39, 1572-1588.
Pamela E. Rossela, Julius S. Lipp, Helen F. Fredricks, Julia Arnds, Antje Boetius, Marcus Elvert and KaiUwe Hinrichs. Intact polar lipids of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea and associated bacteria,
Organic Geochemistry, 2008, 39, 992–999.
Fredricks, H.F., and Hinrichs, K.-U., 2007. Data report: intact membrane lipids as indicators of subsurface
life in Cretaceous and Paleogene sediments from Sites 1257 and 1258. In Mosher, D.C.,
Erbacher, J., and Malone, M.J. (Eds.), Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 207: College Station, TX (Ocean
Drilling Program), 1–11. doi:10.2973/odp.proc.sr.207.112.2007
Julius S. Lipp, Yuki Morono, Fumio Inagaki, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs. Significant contribution of Archaea to
extant biomass in marine subsurface sediments, Nature (2008) 454, 991 - 994 Acknowledged.
Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, Rocap, G., Fredricks, H. F., Evans, C. T. & Devol, A. H. Sulfolipids dramatically
decrease phosphorus demand by picocyanobacteria in oligotrophic marine environments. Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci., 2006, 103, 8607-8612.
J.F. Biddle, J.S. Lipp, M. Lever, K. Lloyd, K. Sørensen, R. Anderson, H.F. Fredricks, M. Elvert, T.J. Kelly, D.P.
Schrag, M.L. Sogin, J.E. Brenchley, A. Teske, C.H. House, K.-U. Hinrichs, Novel heterotrophic
Archaea dominate sedimentary subsurface ecosystems off Peru, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2006, 103,
3846-3851.
Sturt, H.F., Summons, R.E., Smith, K., Elvert, M., Hinrichs, K.U., Intact polar membrane lipids in
prokaryotes and sediments deciphered by high-performance liquid
chromatography/electrospray ionization multistage mass spectrometry - new biomarkers for
biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, Rapid Communications In Mass Spectrometry, 2004,
18(6) p617-628.
Jahn, U., Summons, R., Sturt, H., Grosjean, E., Huber, H., Composition of the lipids of Nanoarchaeum
equitans and their origin from its host Ignicoccus sp. KIN4/I, Archives of Microbiology, 2004,
182(5) p404-413.
Meyers, P.A., Forster, A., Sturt, H., and Shipboard Scientific Party, 2004. Microbial gases in black shale
sequences on the Demerara Rise. In Erbacher, J., Mosher, D.C., Malone, M.J., et al., Proc. ODP,
Init. Repts., 207: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 1–18.
doi:10.2973/odp.proc.ir.207.109.2004
Forster, A., Sturt, H., Meyers, P.A., and Shipboard Scientific Party, 2004. Molecular biogeochemistry of
Cretaceous black shales from the Demerara Rise: preliminary shipboard results from Sites 1257
and 1258, Leg 207. In Erbacher, J., Mosher, D.C., Malone, M.J., et al., Proc. ODP, Init. Repts., 207:
College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 1–22. doi:10.2973/odp.proc.ir.207.110.2004
Conferences, poster presentations
2015
American Society of Mass Spectrometry, annual conference. St. Louis, MO. May 31 - June 4, 2015.
Helen F. Fredricks, James Collins, Bethanie Edwards, Benjamin Van Mooy. Lipidomics of Marine
Microorganisms under Stress. Solving the Needle / Haystack Problem with a Large Database and
Open-Source Software. In Conference Proceedings (in press)
ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Granada, Spain 2015 (did not attend)
Edwards, B. R.; Collins, J. R.; Fredricks, H.F.; Ossolinski, J. E.; McNair, H.; Brzezinski, M. A.; Krause, J.
W.; Thamatrakoln, K.; Bidle, K.D.; Van Mooy, B.A.: Comparative lipidomics link bloom decline to
infochemical production in the California upwelling Zone.
Collins, J. R.; Fredricks, H.F.; Ducklow, H.W.; Van Mooy, B.A.: Biotic and abiotic production of oxylipin
infochemicals along the western Antarctic peninsula.
Hunter, J. E.; Frada, M. J.; Fredricks, H.F.; Vardi, A.; Van Mooy, B.A.: Molecular insights on viral
infection and life cycle in Emiliania huxleyi from targeted and untargeted lipidomics.
Thamatrakoln, K.; Maniscalco, C.; Fredricks, H.F.; Allen, L.Z.; Allen, A.E.; Van Mooy, B.; Bidle, K.D.:
Differential effects of viral infection on host physiology in two strains of the diatom,
Chaeotoceros tenuissimus.
Nissimov, J. I.; Fredricks , H.; Van Mooy, B.; Bidle, K.D.: The impact of biochemical diversity on
infochemical production and viral demise of Emiliania huxleyi.
Johns, C. T.; Knapp, V.; Mui, A.; Natale, F.; Fredricks, H.; Van Mooy, B.A.; Bidle, K.D.: Mutual interplay
between viruses and cellular PIC quotas in Emiliania Huxleyi.
Sebastian, M.; Gonzalez, J.M.; Fredricks, H.F.; Van Mooy, B.; Koblizek, M.; Sa, E.L.; Mostajir, B.; Pitta,
P.; Gasol, J. M.: Marine heterotrophic bacteria synthesize non-phosphorus lipids upon
phosphorus stress.
2014
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Research Associate and Post-doc Summit (RAPS). Puerto Rico,
February 3rd – 6th 2014.
‘Tools and Technologies’ Lipidomics of marine bacteria and diatoms. Won ‘best poster’.
2013
ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting, New Orleans, February 17th – 22nd 2013.
Fredricks, H. F.; Fulton, J. M.; Dyhrman, S. T.; Van Mooy, B.A.: The flexible lipidome of Emiliania
huxleyi; the capacity to cope with multiple nutrient stresses.
Edwards, B. R.; May, A. L.; Ossolinski, J. E.; Fredricks, H. F.; Campagna, S. R.; Van Mooy, B.A.: The
potential impacts of allelopathy between diatoms and particle attached bacteria on export
efficiency.
Fulton, J. M.; Fredricks, H. F.; Kendricks, B. J.; DiTullio, G.R.; Vardi, A.; Bidle, K. D.; Van Mooy, B.A.:
Lipidome of the emiliania Huxleyi-coccolithovirus system in a changing ocean.
2011
Aquatic Virus Workshop 6, Texel, The Netherlands, October 20th - November 3rd 2011.
Helen Fredricks, Jamey Fulton, Ben Van Mooy. Mass spectrometry for the structural elucidation of
membrane lipids implicated in viral invasions.
Jamey Fulton, Helen Fredricks, Ben Van Mooy. Lipid-based mechanisms of viral infection and
defense in Emiliania huxleyi.
Pre 2010 conferences
2005, NASA Astrobiology Institute General Meeting, Boulder, CO. Poster. Abstract in published in
the journal Astrobiology, 5, No. 2, April 2005.
2004, Workshop. Dark energy: the deep oceanic biosphere, WHOI. Co-authored poster.
2004, Gordon Research conference: Organic Geochemistry, Holderness, NH. Attended/funded by
invitation of the conference chair Stewart Wakeham.
2003, International Meeting on Organic Geochemistry (European Association of Organic
Geochemists). Krakow, Poland. Poster.
2002 AGU, San Francisco, CA. Poster.
Patent
Methods for obtaining bioactive compounds from phytoplankton. Patent number: 8557514. Abstract:
Phytoplankton represent a potential source of bioactive compounds. The present disclosure
provides, inter alia, methods for identifying glycerolipids and apoptosis-inducing sphingosine-like
lipids from virally-infected phytoplankton. Filed: July 7, 2009, Issued: October 15, 2013. Inventors:
Kay Bidle, Assaf Vardi, Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy, Helen F. Fredricks, Liti Haramaty. Assignees: Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Field work / cruises
‘Microbiologist’ aboard Ocean Drilling Program Leg 207. Demerara Rise: Equatorial Cretaceous and
Paleogene paleoceanographic Transect, Western Atlantic Sites 1257-1261. 11 January - 6 March
2003.
Funding
2009. Ocean Life Institute, WHOI. “Virally-induced Cell Membrane Lipids as a Tool for the Study and
Manipulation of Cell Death and Cell Immunity”. Helen Fredricks and Ben Van Mooy.
Professional Training
Short course: LC-MS techniques of electrospray, APCI and APPI. American Society of Mass Spectrometry,
St. Louis May 29th-30th 2015.
Practical Course on Metabolomics Bioinformatics for Life Scientists, sponsored by EMBO (European
Molecular Biology Organization). European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge, UK, February 16th –
20th 2015.
Awards
2015 Robert R. Whelan Award. Provided funding to attend the EMBO Metabolomics course, Feb 2015.
“…given to an individual to cover research/scientific related expenses that are not covered by
normal funding sources… who are commonly neglected by other Institutional grants and prizes.”
2014 Penzance Award. Awarded to the 6 senior technical staff of Fye Laboratory. "for sustained
exceptional performance, for outstanding representation of the WHOI spirit, and for major
contributions to the personal and professional lives of our staff."
WHOI Committees
Awards committee for the Vetlesen, Ryan Schrawder and Penzance Award, 2015.
Women’s Committee, 2013-2014, Chair 2014.
Co-chaired committees for the Linda Morse-Porteous Award, 2013 & 2014.