Tom R. Pettus

Tom R. Pettus is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), within the College of Letters and Science. His research focuses on organic and bioorganic chemistry, emphasizing molecular design, synthesis of architecturally complex tetramic acid derivatives, and their biomedical applications. His group has contributed to the development of enantioselective methods for constructing heterocyclic motifs and has pursued total syntheses of natural products like tetrapetalone A.

Education:

• B.S. in Chemistry, Longwood University (Summa Cum Laude, 1990)
• Undergraduate Research: Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1989)
• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, University of Rochester (1996)
• Postdoctoral Research: Columbia University (NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, 1996–1998)

Research Interests: Dr. Pettus’ work addresses challenges in synthesizing tetramic acid derivatives, which are crucial in antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal therapies. His lab develops novel strategies for enantioselective construction of these compounds, leveraging vinylation reagents and C-C bond formation methods. Current efforts include the total synthesis of tetrapetalone A and exploring applications of o-quinone methides in multicomponent reactions.

Publications: His research spans 30+ years, with recent studies focused on allosteric inhibitors, quinone methide chemistry, and natural product synthesis. Key themes include enantioselective methodologies, biomimetic synthesis, and drug discovery.

Awards:

• Barry M. Goldwater Fellowship (1990)
• ACS Graduate Award in Organic Chemistry (1996)
• NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship (1998)
• Research Corporation Innovation Award (2001)
• NSF-CAREER Grant (2001)

Advising & Labs: Dr. Pettus mentors 6 graduate students and 2 postdocs. His lab emphasizes synthetic methods training, with students typically completing 4–5 publications during their Ph.D. (5–6 years). Past advisees hold roles in academia, pharmaceuticals (e.g., Amgen, Gilead), and industry (e.g., Hewlett Packard, Biogen).

Labs & Teams: The Pettus Research Group operates within the UCSB Chemistry Department, focusing on organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. Collaborations span drug discovery, enzyme inhibition, and natural product design.