Carlos Bustamante

Carlos Bustamante is a Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and an Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator holding the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Chair. His lab develops cutting-edge single-molecule techniques like optical tweezers, fluorescence microscopy, and cryo-electron microscopy to study molecular motors, protein-DNA interactions, and nucleosome dynamics. Key projects include investigating the mechanical properties of RNase H, FtsK translocase, and the bacteriophage phi29 DNA packaging motor. The group also explores transcription through nucleosomes, translation, protein folding, and recombination mechanisms. Affiliated with the departments of Molecular and Cell Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, as well as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Bustamante’s work bridges biophysics and molecular biology.

Research focuses on understanding how molecular machines operate at the single-molecule level, including the mechanochemical coupling in motors like RNA polymerase and the structural basis of protein-DNA interactions. His lab’s innovations include advanced optical tweezers automation (SmartTrap) and high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). Awards include HHMI Investigator status, recognizing his contributions to biophysical research. Group meetings and collaborations emphasize translating foundational discoveries into broader biological insights.

• Awards: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Chair
• Labs: QB3 Institute, Stanley Hall (UC Berkeley)
• Techniques: Optical tweezers, single-molecule fluorescence, cryo-EM, AFM