Robert Tjian is interested in the biochemical steps involved in controlling how genes are turned on and off. Tjian and his team have discovered transcription factors that bind to specific sections of DNA and play a critical role in regulating how genetic information is transcribed and translated into biomolecules essential for life. They have been particularly interested in the disruptions in the process of transcription that lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Huntington’s. More recently, they’ve begun studying how transcription factors control the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into muscle, liver, and neurons.
Scientists solved the structure of a large human protein complex and uncovered some unexpected differences between people and yeast. The structure could guide the development of drugs to treat diseases that arise when this complex malfunctions. Research labs are racing to develop innovative testing methods and overcome the bottlenecks to more widespread testing, which is crucial to controlling the spread of the disease. The HHMI Trustees have named Erin O’Shea the Institute’s sixth president, succeeding Robert Tjian. Researchers learn more details about how CRISPR works in cells. HHMI President Robert Tjian will step down in late 2016. Robert Tjian, a distinguished biochemist and long-time HHMI investigator at the University of California, Berkeley, will become HHMI’s next president.