Michael Botchan

Michael Botchan is a Professor Emeritus of Molecular Therapeutics at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology. His research focuses on cis-acting elements in eukaryotic chromosomes, particularly those involved in DNA replication, gene expression, and chromatin structure. He explores how these elements are regulated and how replication stress contributes to genomic instability and cancer progression. Botchan's work includes the study of the origin recognition complex (ORC) and its role in initiating DNA replication, as well as the structural and functional analysis of the CMG replicative helicase. His research also examines cell cycle checkpoint controls and the interaction of chromatin-modifying factors with replication machinery.