PC biology professor’s desire to help others inspires students
Originally from Belarus, associate professor of biology Dr. Marharyta (Margo) Petukh joined the Presbyterian College biology department in 2018.
While she began by studying physics, Petukh was initially drawn to biology because of her desire to help others, recalling childhood memories of wanting to be a ‘Good Fairy’ and eventually a doctor.
“I enjoyed physics because it explains the world around us, but it felt a bit too general—too instrumental,” she said. “I wanted something more connected to humans, so I added ‘life’ to it and switched to biophysics. Then I expanded my path by incorporating computers as my main research tool, and later the ‘history’ of proteins. Working at the intersection of multiple sciences is both fun and incredibly exciting.”
Petukh’s interest lies specifically in computational biology and bioinformatics, a field that blends her interest in human-centered science with her drive to make a difference.
“I study the effect of human mutations and how they lead to disease, hoping that if I can find what’s different, I can find the drug that can restore the function of the protein,” she said. “I may not treat patients myself, but I create tools that doctors can use to help them.”
A love of the community
After completing her Ph.D. at Clemson University, followed by post-doctoral training at the Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at the University of Tennessee and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the decision on where to settle down was an easy one.
Upstate South Carolina felt like the perfect fit for Dr. Petukh and her family, and the welcoming campus environment at PC made the decision that much easier.
“It was just meant to be,” she said. “I like the liberal arts college; I like that it’s small, I like that it’s diverse. I like that a lot of my colleagues do interesting research with students, and that there’s opportunity to do research.”
When reflecting on her years spent at PC, Petukh spoke warmly of the students, not only as individuals, but also as a community.
“It’s not like they’re strangers to each other; they work together, they ask questions, they interact,” she said. “I think you learn a lot from your peers. When someone asks you a question, and you explain a concept to them, you end up understanding it better yourself. I really appreciate that.”
It was just meant to be. I like the liberal arts college; I like that it’s small, I like that it’s diverse. I like that a lot of my colleagues do interesting research with students, and that there’s opportunity to do research.”
Dr. Margo Petukh, Associate Professor of Biology
The future of computational biology at PC
In the coming years, Petukh hopes to see continued growth in the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics major and to bring more visibility to a program that is still relatively unknown to the general public, yet rapidly gaining popularity within the health-related community.
“I have wonderful students in the major, but many of them don’t discover it until later,” she said. “By then, they don’t have enough time to fully enjoy it or immerse themselves in computational biology.”
Petukh is also deeply interested in the growing role of artificial intelligence in biological research and is excited to integrate new technologies into her courses at every level.
“I’m definitely not afraid of it – I’m eagerly looking forward to what AI will bring to humanity,” she said. “Scientists are already making groundbreaking discoveries by asking the right questions to AI and thus significantly boosting the medical field. You have access to so much information; you just need to open your mind, ask the right question, and start investigating.”
