Matthew Fountain

Matthew Fountain serves as Professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at the State University of New York at Fredonia, maintaining a joint appointment in the Biology Department. He has been a core faculty member since 1998, progressing from Assistant to Full Professor, and chaired the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department from 2015-2022.

His academic foundation includes dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Biology and Chemistry from SUNY Potsdam (1988), a Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Rochester (1990), and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the same institution (1994), completed with a postdoctoral fellowship.

Dr. Fountain's research program centers on nucleic acid structural biology, employing thermodynamics, NMR spectroscopy, molecular modeling, and SHAPE techniques to investigate RNA/DNA secondary/tertiary structures. Key focuses include metal ion binding to base pair mismatches, small hairpin loop dynamics, and RNA structures implicated in neural/muscular degenerative diseases. Current projects involve determining the 3' UTR structure of COVID-19 RNA and analyzing sequence-specific DNA structural changes in tandem mismatches.

His publication record (2009-2020) reveals consistent expertise in biophysical nucleic acid chemistry, with significant contributions to understanding disease mechanisms in Huntington's, myotonic dystrophy, and tauopathies through interdisciplinary structural approaches.

Research funding includes projects on COVID-19 RNA structural analysis (2020) and Gurken translational control in Drosophila (2017). Teaching responsibilities span Biochemistry, Structural Biology, General/Organic Chemistry sequences, and Instrumental Analysis, reflecting his dual departmental expertise. Professional activities include American Chemical Society membership and campus presentations on protein structure.