Ruben Gonzalez
@rubenlgonzalez.bsky.social
Dean of Science, Professor of Chemistry, and Professor of Physiology & Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University | Single-Molecule Biophysics, Structural Biology, and Biochemistry | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM
New from our lab in @narjournal.bsky.social:
We dissect the folding dynamics of a fundamental element of RNA secondary structure—a stem-loop—at single-molecule and microsecond resolution.
doi.org/10.1093/nar/... 1/5
We dissect the folding dynamics of a fundamental element of RNA secondary structure—a stem-loop—at single-molecule and microsecond resolution.
doi.org/10.1093/nar/... 1/5
July 31, 2025 at 2:27 AM
New from our lab in @narjournal.bsky.social:
We dissect the folding dynamics of a fundamental element of RNA secondary structure—a stem-loop—at single-molecule and microsecond resolution.
doi.org/10.1093/nar/... 1/5
We dissect the folding dynamics of a fundamental element of RNA secondary structure—a stem-loop—at single-molecule and microsecond resolution.
doi.org/10.1093/nar/... 1/5
Over 60 NIH staff are blowing the whistle on Trump’s assault on biomedical research — calling it unethical, illegal, and dangerous. Grants canceled. Trials halted. Science censored. This is a direct threat to public health. www.standupforscience.net/bethesda-dec...
Bethesda Declaration — STAND UP FOR SCIENCE
Support NIH Staff Now!
www.standupforscience.net
June 10, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Over 60 NIH staff are blowing the whistle on Trump’s assault on biomedical research — calling it unethical, illegal, and dangerous. Grants canceled. Trials halted. Science censored. This is a direct threat to public health. www.standupforscience.net/bethesda-dec...
A Puerto Rican Ph.D. student. A first-gen scientist. Both lost NIH grants under vague “new priorities.”
Nearly 2,500 projects and $1.6B in cut or stalled grants.
No vote. No debate. Just science erased. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Nearly 2,500 projects and $1.6B in cut or stalled grants.
No vote. No debate. Just science erased. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Here Are the Nearly 2,500 Medical Research Grants Canceled or Delayed by Trump
Some cuts have been starkly visible, but the country’s medical grant-making machinery has also radically transformed outside the public eye.
www.nytimes.com
June 5, 2025 at 12:52 AM
A Puerto Rican Ph.D. student. A first-gen scientist. Both lost NIH grants under vague “new priorities.”
Nearly 2,500 projects and $1.6B in cut or stalled grants.
No vote. No debate. Just science erased. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Nearly 2,500 projects and $1.6B in cut or stalled grants.
No vote. No debate. Just science erased. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
“If things continue as they are, American science is ruined.”
This isn’t sabotage from the outside — it’s self-inflicted. Cuts to research, visa bans, and closed doors to global talent are doing what an enemy of the US could only dream of. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/w...
This isn’t sabotage from the outside — it’s self-inflicted. Cuts to research, visa bans, and closed doors to global talent are doing what an enemy of the US could only dream of. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/w...
World Scientists Look Elsewhere as U.S. Labs Stagger Under Trump Cuts
www.nytimes.com
June 2, 2025 at 12:24 PM
“If things continue as they are, American science is ruined.”
This isn’t sabotage from the outside — it’s self-inflicted. Cuts to research, visa bans, and closed doors to global talent are doing what an enemy of the US could only dream of. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/w...
This isn’t sabotage from the outside — it’s self-inflicted. Cuts to research, visa bans, and closed doors to global talent are doing what an enemy of the US could only dream of. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/w...
Check out group member Meghna Maiti’s poster at #RNA2025! She’s presenting new findings on how frameshift-suppressor tRNAs exhibit altered dynamics in the ribosomal A site that modulate translocation and +1 frameshifting. Friday, 8–10 PM PT — she’s at P2-492!
May 30, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Check out group member Meghna Maiti’s poster at #RNA2025! She’s presenting new findings on how frameshift-suppressor tRNAs exhibit altered dynamics in the ribosomal A site that modulate translocation and +1 frameshifting. Friday, 8–10 PM PT — she’s at P2-492!
A blast from the past! The Gonzalez Group, circa 2008, celebrating our first publication! Check out much, much younger versions of, from left to right, Pallav Kosuri, yours truly, Sam Sternberg, Mike Englander, @jingyifei.bsky.social, Daniel MacDougall, Margaret Elvekrog, and Subasree Das!
May 30, 2025 at 8:50 PM
A blast from the past! The Gonzalez Group, circa 2008, celebrating our first publication! Check out much, much younger versions of, from left to right, Pallav Kosuri, yours truly, Sam Sternberg, Mike Englander, @jingyifei.bsky.social, Daniel MacDougall, Margaret Elvekrog, and Subasree Das!
Excited to share that group member Riley Gentry will present a talk at #RNA2025 tomorrow! He’ll reveal how PIC-bound eIFs collaborate to drive mRNA loading during translation initiation. Don’t miss “The mechanism of mRNA activation” at 9 AM in the Translation Mechanisms plenary.
May 30, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Excited to share that group member Riley Gentry will present a talk at #RNA2025 tomorrow! He’ll reveal how PIC-bound eIFs collaborate to drive mRNA loading during translation initiation. Don’t miss “The mechanism of mRNA activation” at 9 AM in the Translation Mechanisms plenary.
“Undermining the future of American science is not a path to accountability — it’s a path to decline.”
In a powerful new piece, my colleague Daphna Shohamy explains how canceled grants are driving young scientists out of science—and out of the country.
🔗 www.statnews.com/2025/05/07/u...
In a powerful new piece, my colleague Daphna Shohamy explains how canceled grants are driving young scientists out of science—and out of the country.
🔗 www.statnews.com/2025/05/07/u...
What am I supposed to say to this generation of young scientists?
Undermining the future of American science is not a path to accountability — it’s a path to decline.
www.statnews.com
May 7, 2025 at 9:18 PM
“Undermining the future of American science is not a path to accountability — it’s a path to decline.”
In a powerful new piece, my colleague Daphna Shohamy explains how canceled grants are driving young scientists out of science—and out of the country.
🔗 www.statnews.com/2025/05/07/u...
In a powerful new piece, my colleague Daphna Shohamy explains how canceled grants are driving young scientists out of science—and out of the country.
🔗 www.statnews.com/2025/05/07/u...
This op-ed details how the billionaires now destroying basic science at our universities built their fortunes on its breakthroughs. They're aggressively moving to deny others the very foundation that made their own successes possible. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/o...
Opinion | The White House Tech Bros Owe Their Fortunes to the Research They’re Killing
Underlying many investments are breakthroughs in medicine and technology from great universities.
www.nytimes.com
April 28, 2025 at 9:33 PM
This op-ed details how the billionaires now destroying basic science at our universities built their fortunes on its breakthroughs. They're aggressively moving to deny others the very foundation that made their own successes possible. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/o...
A really important op-ed from my colleague, Matt Connelly, in our History Department. He sets the record straight on several important facts about Columbia’s response to the Trump administration that have been misreported and mischaracterized. 1/5 www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/o...
Opinion | I’m a Columbia Professor. Here’s the Really Disheartening Part of This Mess.
Where were these voices when the university was under assault from the Trump administration?
www.nytimes.com
April 16, 2025 at 11:06 PM
A really important op-ed from my colleague, Matt Connelly, in our History Department. He sets the record straight on several important facts about Columbia’s response to the Trump administration that have been misreported and mischaracterized. 1/5 www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/o...
Young scientists are leaving science to stay in the US or leaving the US to stay in science. We’re losing the talent we trained. To lead in medicine, AI, and energy, we must support young scientists as if the future depends on them—because it does. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...
Opinion | America’s Brightest Minds Will Walk Away
Young researchers are choosing between staying in science and staying in the United States.
www.nytimes.com
April 8, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Young scientists are leaving science to stay in the US or leaving the US to stay in science. We’re losing the talent we trained. To lead in medicine, AI, and energy, we must support young scientists as if the future depends on them—because it does. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...
As some of you already know, I was appointed Dean of Science at Columbia in December and began my role on Jan 1. It’s an honor to support our students, postdocs, and faculty—especially in this challenging moment. Science at Columbia is strong. #ColumbiaScience fas.columbia.edu/news/ruben-g...
Ruben Gonzalez Appointed Dean of Science | Arts & Sciences
fas.columbia.edu
March 12, 2025 at 12:02 PM
As some of you already know, I was appointed Dean of Science at Columbia in December and began my role on Jan 1. It’s an honor to support our students, postdocs, and faculty—especially in this challenging moment. Science at Columbia is strong. #ColumbiaScience fas.columbia.edu/news/ruben-g...
Reposted by Ruben Gonzalez
This hot-off-press paper reveals how eukaryotic eIF4F recognizes & activates messenger RNA by stochastically sampling along its length & utilizing allosteric communication between its subunits. We get a revised model for mRNA activation & translation initiation.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The mechanism of mRNA cap recognition - Nature
Allosteric communication between the eIF4F subunits drives mRNA cap-recognition and subsequent activation of the message.
www.nature.com
December 19, 2024 at 8:31 AM
This hot-off-press paper reveals how eukaryotic eIF4F recognizes & activates messenger RNA by stochastically sampling along its length & utilizing allosteric communication between its subunits. We get a revised model for mRNA activation & translation initiation.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thanks to #JeffreyKieft for an excellent SCI-Talk Seminar visit to #NYSBC! A great day of science, friends, and potential collaborations!
December 17, 2024 at 9:35 PM
Thanks to #JeffreyKieft for an excellent SCI-Talk Seminar visit to #NYSBC! A great day of science, friends, and potential collaborations!
Our latest work is out in Nature today! Using smFRET, we directly visualized recruitment of the eIF4F complex to the 5' cap of eukaryotic mRNAs and formation of an activated mRNA. Our findings reveal new and surprising roles for each eIF4F component. 1/3 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 11, 2024 at 9:35 PM
Our latest work is out in Nature today! Using smFRET, we directly visualized recruitment of the eIF4F complex to the 5' cap of eukaryotic mRNAs and formation of an activated mRNA. Our findings reveal new and surprising roles for each eIF4F component. 1/3 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A beautiful mechanistic study of coupled transcription translation, exciting new results, and several technical advances! Congrats on this awesome study, @olivierduss.bsky.social! 🍾
First paper of our lab today @natureportfolio.bsky.social by Nussi!
We provide a real-time movie on how #transcription and #translation cooperate using #single-molecule FM: we find long-range #ribosome/ RNAP communication mediated by #RNA looping!
@embl.org #RNAbiology #RNASky
t.co/a24Xxcxdo0
We provide a real-time movie on how #transcription and #translation cooperate using #single-molecule FM: we find long-range #ribosome/ RNAP communication mediated by #RNA looping!
@embl.org #RNAbiology #RNASky
t.co/a24Xxcxdo0
December 11, 2024 at 4:08 PM
A beautiful mechanistic study of coupled transcription translation, exciting new results, and several technical advances! Congrats on this awesome study, @olivierduss.bsky.social! 🍾
Amazing work revealing the mechanisms by which mRNAs are delivered to the bacterial ribosome! 🤯 Congrats to the Weixlbaumer lab and their collaborators in the Walter and Rappsilber labs! 🍾
Molecular basis of mRNA delivery to the bacterial ribosome
Protein synthesis begins with the formation of a ribosome-messenger RNA (mRNA) complex. In bacteria, the small ribosomal subunit (30S) is recruited to many mRNAs through base pairing with the Shine-Da...
www.science.org
November 30, 2024 at 3:53 PM
Amazing work revealing the mechanisms by which mRNAs are delivered to the bacterial ribosome! 🤯 Congrats to the Weixlbaumer lab and their collaborators in the Walter and Rappsilber labs! 🍾
Great review on the structure, dynamics, and function of ribosomes by Harry Noller!
The ribosome comes to life
The ribosome is an ancient molecular machine that coverts the genetic information
carried by mRNA into protein, a crucial step in linking genotype to phenotype. This
review discusses landmark advances...
www.cell.com
November 27, 2024 at 12:03 PM
Great review on the structure, dynamics, and function of ribosomes by Harry Noller!
New day, new platform, same mission: Unlocking molecular mysteries and breaking barriers in STEM and academia. 🚀 Let’s connect, collaborate, and amplify science for all! #BlueskyBound #RNA #Ribosomes #Transporters #SingleMolecules #ScienceForAll
November 21, 2024 at 12:11 AM
New day, new platform, same mission: Unlocking molecular mysteries and breaking barriers in STEM and academia. 🚀 Let’s connect, collaborate, and amplify science for all! #BlueskyBound #RNA #Ribosomes #Transporters #SingleMolecules #ScienceForAll