Dr. Carlos Bustamante

Biography

Carlos J. Bustamante is a Professor at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Molecular Cell Biology as well as the Departments of Chemistry and Physics. His research interests encompass the fields of biophysical chemistry, focusing on scanning force microscopy to study the structural characterization of nucleoprotein assemblies, protein-DNA interactions, and mechanical properties of molecular motors. He has conducted pioneering work using high-resolution scanning force microscopy to explore the dynamics of transcription complexes and the role of chromatin in gene regulation. Over his distinguished career, he has received multiple prestigious awards including the Searle Scholar award and the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship. His academic journey began in Peru, where he earned his B.S. in Biology and continued through significant postdoctoral research and professorships at reputable institutions including the University of New Mexico and the University of Oregon. His laboratory also employs optical tweezers and other techniques to investigate molecular mechanisms involved in mechanochemical processes of proteins, contributing to our understanding of gene expression regulation in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Research Interests