B. Montgomery Pettitt

B. Montgomery Pettitt is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). His research spans biophysics, chemical physics, and computational science, focusing on DNA compaction in bacteriophages, protein folding mechanisms, and multiscale modeling of biomolecular systems.

• Education: BS in Chemistry and Mathematics from University of Houston (1975), PhD in Physical Chemistry from University of Houston (1980)
• Postdoctoral Training: University of Texas (1980-1983), Harvard University (1983-1985)

Research interests center on thermodynamic barriers in viral DNA packaging, protein solubility and phase transitions, and multiscale computational methods linking atomic and macroscopic properties. His work has implications for genomics, nanotechnology, and therapeutic delivery systems.

Key publication themes include DNA conformational dynamics, protein collapse thermodynamics, solvation energetics, ion pair interactions in protein-DNA complexes, and validation of continuum-solvent models. These studies employ computational approaches and experimental data integration.

His laboratory develops theoretical frameworks and computational tools to analyze solute-solvent interactions, leveraging proximal distribution functions and activity models to understand biological processes across disparate length and time scales.