#ribosome #RNASky @zeynepbaharoglu.bsky.social

Germline sequence variation within the ribosomal DNA is associated with human complex traits Rodriguez-Algarra et al. present an analysis of the prevalence of ribosomal DNA variants in UK Biobank participants, revealing associations with multiple human complex traits. Notably, a cluster of hu...

Variations in ribosomal rRNAs linked to human phenotypes (height, weight..etc) #RNASky #ribosome 🧪 www.cell.com/cell-genomic... www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

This is a handy little website if you want to keep track of how things are going with science funding.

sciencespending.org#overview

The Senate took a reckless action. This hurts.

225,000 acres impacted
650,000 public comments ignored
A foreign mining company now has a clear path forward

We’re angry. Not done.

A $150,000 match is live. Every dollar is doubled to power the fight ahead.
https://www.friends-bwca.org/openwater/

Inactivation of a purine biosynthesis repressor promotes ribosome synthesis to overcome antibiotic stress | mBio The Erm rRNA methyltransferase superfamily represents the most prevalent determinant of MLS resistance in nosocomial Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Previous studies have established that erm expression is primarily governed by upstream ribosome stalling peptide and the 5′ untranslated regions. Using the widespread S. aureus ermBL-ermB (ermB+) operon as a model system, we unexpectedly identified second-site mutations in purR that synergistically enhance MLS resistance in an ermB+ background. Loss of purR function derepresses nucleotide biosynthesis and ribosome production, thereby promoting bacterial growth under antibiotic stress. While numerous purR single-nucleotide polymorphisms across multiple species have been associated with antibiotic resistance, no study has directly linked these sequence polymorphisms to their regulatory function. Our results highlight the critical role of ribosome abundance and nucleotide metabolism in shaping antibiotic efficacy.

Seemingly unrelated mutations boost multidrug resistance by promoting ribosome synthesis. Out in #mBio @asm.org, 1st author @lescorneta.bsky.social, great collaboration w/ Dapeng Zhang's and Jade Wang's groups. @nu-bsa.bsky.social #MicroSky #ribosome #AMR journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Postdoctoral Position (Please re-post)
A funded postdoctoral position for a recent graduate to study aspects of Neisseria gonorrhoeae pathogenesis, antigenic variation, genetics, or physiology.
Please contact Hank Seifert h-seifert@northwestern.edu
#Microsky, #Microbiology, #MicrobialEvolution

Forest Service research centers in state to close (This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.) HOUGHTON — The Trump administration plans to close its four US Forest Service research facilities in Michigan, including two locally, which will shift scientists out of the state as it reorganizes and consolidates the agency. Officials […]

Houghton Lab to close. “…between 20 and 25 people work at the Houghton station, including scientists and other staff. The station has a ‘multidecadal history of partnerships’” in U.P.

Partners include @michigantech.bsky.social and @michigandnr.bsky.social.

@peters.senate.gov @slotkin.senate.gov

illegal trade, live animal markets, and time in trade predict the number of pathogens shared with humans

Two things we can do to stop the next pandemic:
1️⃣ Reduce wildlife trade.*
(👉 *But: criminalization drives trade underground, and we find that illegal trade accelerates spillover. We need new ideas.)
2️⃣ Ramp up disease surveillance in wildlife markets, farms, and supply chains.

This may be lost in the noise--this is as impactful or more than the cuts to NIH and NSF 🧪

Upstream ORFs control TNFR1 abundance and tissue tolerance to TNF Upstream open reading frames exert translational control of TNFR1, which limits tissue responsiveness to TNF.

Mutations in upstream open reading frames that regulate tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) may contribute to disease symptoms in patients with autoinflammatory conditions like TRAPS.

Learn more in #ScienceImmunology: https://scim.ag/3PZOLdv

NIH restrictions on research partnerships with foreign institutions significantly impacted 1 in 4 U.S. scientists In a survey of NIH-funded scientists, 25% said their research had been impacted a great deal or a fair amount by a move away from foreign subawards.

In a survey of NIH-funded scientists, 25% said their research had been impacted a great deal or a fair amount by a move away from foreign subawards. www.statnews.com/2026/03/27/n...

Extended Shine-Dalgarno motifs govern translation initiation in Staphylococcus aureus - Nature Communications Kohl et al. combine high-resolution Ribo-seq and cryo electron microscopy to show that the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus uses extended Shine-Dalgarno motifs to initiate translation, which can m...

Very happy to share our latest work on translation initiation and its regulation in S. aureus.
If you are interested in #ribosomes, #bacteria and #translation, this one is for you!
Very grateful to all co-authors, especially @bahcer.bsky.social for an amazing job at Cryo-EM data processing!

New in JB: Mike Cashel is known internationally for his work on "magic spot", or (p)ppGpp, that serves as a key regulator of bacteria physiology. Hinman & Gottesman remember Dr. Cashel.
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
@asm.org #JBacteriol

I feel you.

www.science.org/content/arti...

Following @joshuasweitz.bsky.social post and discussions with him and the Vox story, I have estimated R01 success rates for each NIH institute and center with enough awards for this to be meaningful.

A long 🧵...

1/25

2 year fellowship available in AMR research www.medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk/grants/antim...

Bacteriophage-Encoded Small RNAs: Emerging Tools for Phage Therapy and Antibacterial Intervention - Aviezer Silverman, Sahar Melamed, 2026 Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically infect bacteria and play a central role in shaping microbial communities and bacterial evolution. Beyond t...

🚨Happy to share our new mini-review on phage-encoded small RNAs and their potential for phage therapy and antibacterial strategies, written with Aviezer Silverman!
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
#RNA
#phage
@journals.sagepub.com
@hebrewuniversity.bsky.social
@phagedirectory.bsky.social

Ribosome transfer via tunnelling nanotubes rescues protein synthesis in pancreatic cancer cells - Cell Communication and Signaling Cell Communication and Signaling - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered as one of the deadliest types of cancer. Tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs) are thin, membranous, intercellular...

Huh? 😱 #Ribosome #RNASky cell-to-cell ribosome/r-proteins transfer?!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

#AMR

#Ribosome #RNASky Aged ribosomes do not elongate well on positively charged residues

#AMR anaerobiosis affects fitness of antibiotic resistance genes 🧪

How Congress can restore the independence of US science Members must go beyond reinstating US government research spending and re-establish decentralized governance at the National Institutes of Health and other agencies.

The most impt change at #NIH and to US science this year is bigger than grant cancellations— it’s how the agency is governed.

For 75 years NIH has been largely independent of presidential control. That’s changed this year. New piece from me and @nataliebaviles.bsky.social in @nature.com
🧪

Conference banner showing trees with leafs changing colors.

Announcing the 4th Lakeside Conference on Protein Toxins and Effectors 2026 Registration/Abstract Submission is OPEN (#lakesidePTE)! Come join this premier event on the structure, biochemistry, and cell biology of Microbial Protein Toxins Oct 12-15, 2026. event.fourwaves.com/lakesidepte2...

🌿 Postdoc opportunity in plant evolutionary ecology/genetics!

My lab in the Dept. of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to start Fall 2026.

We study plant adaptation, using weeds as model systems.

#Postdoc #EcoEvo

Pls RT!

Perfect encapsulation of the MAGA & MAHA hero, RFK Jr ally, & Great Barrington Declaration kook Jay Bhattacharya:

"It’s unfortunate that he spends a significant amount of time either on rightwing podcasts or addressing rightwing conventions, & maybe finds time for NIH in between those appearances”

Are gender gaps due to evaluations of the applicant or the science? A natural experiment at a national funding agency Gender gaps in grant funding are attributable to less favourable assessments of women as principal investigators, not of the quality of their proposed research. We discuss reasons less favourable asse...

It's crucial to confront the systemic barriers women face in research. This study shows that gender gaps in grant funding persist not because of research quality, but because women receive less favourable assessments as PIs. We can and must change this.
🔗 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
#IWD2026

Happy to share our new preprint on the mechanism of human tRNA 3' CCA maturation! This project was spearheaded by Bernhard Kuhle in my group, with contributions from many others and a great collaboration with the group of Peter Rehling (UMG). See highlights below!

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Mike Cashel: magic spot magician | Journal of Bacteriology In July 2025, we lost Mike Cashel, a gifted scientist and critical contributor to the bacterial research community, after a long illness. Through his studies on (p)ppGpp and its modes of action, Mike ...

"Mike Cashel: magic spot magician"

journals.asm.org/doi/full/10....

Indeed. New grants are not getting funded, already funded grants are not getting paid, and non-competitive renewals are being held up.

Focusing on the top line budget, instead of looking at what is really happening on “the ground” is deeply misguided.