Ruben Gonzalez

Our findings reveal a general mechanism of biomolecular stability--compensatory flexibility--that we predict is widely used by structured biopolymers. This conceptual breakthrough allows the design of mutations and ligands that can disrupt or engineer biomolecular function. 5/5

We found that the stem-loop folds via two distinct pathways, each defined by a different loop structure.
By tuning its flexibility, the RNA can favor either rapid folding or resistance to unfolding—an adaptive strategy for robust structural stability. 4/5

Using a carbon nanotube–based single-molecule field-effect transistor (smFET), we recorded the folding and unfolding of an individual UUCG stem-loop at microsecond time resolution, revealing conformations and kinetic pathways that ensemble methods cannot resolve. 3/5

An excellent collaboration with the labs of Ken Shepard and Colin Nuckolls, led by @ssjang.bsky.social, @korakray.bsky.social, and David Lynall! 2/5

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

Bethesda Declaration — STAND UP FOR SCIENCE Support NIH Staff Now!

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...

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.

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/...

World Scientists Look Elsewhere as U.S. Labs Stagger Under Trump Cuts

“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...

I said I would! 🤣

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!

Photo credit: Pallav Kosuri by way of Jingyi Fei.

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.

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.

“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...

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.

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...

He also calls on US colleges and universities to stand together against the “anti-intellectuals [. . .] undermining [. . .] the ability of teachers and researchers to work without political micromanagement in the pursuit of truth, even when these truths are unpopular.” 5/5

“At no point did our leadership concede any of these essential principles, which is surely why Columbia has been under Department of Justice investigation “for harboring and concealing illegal aliens on its campus.” 4/5

“Nor would we collaborate with government agents intent on deporting our students and faculty members simply because they exercised their First Amendment rights.” 3/5

“Columbia would not allow any government to deny professors their rightful role in personnel decisions or to dictate the content of our curricula.” 2/5

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?

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 | America’s Brightest Minds Will Walk Away Young researchers are choosing between staying in science and staying in the United States.

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...

Thanks, Jamie! Tell me about it…

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ed!

As always, thanks for the support, Heather! I hope all is well (or as well as it can be!) in your neck of the woods!

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...

The mechanism of mRNA cap recognition - Nature Allosteric communication between the eIF4F subunits drives mRNA cap-recognition and subsequent activation of the message.

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...

Thanks a lot for highlighting our new paper, Florian! And thanks even more for your thoughtful handling of our manuscript!

Thanks a lot, Andrei and Korostelev Lab!

Thanks to #JeffreyKieft for an excellent SCI-Talk Seminar visit to #NYSBC! A great day of science, friends, and potential collaborations!

Thank you, Laura!!!

Thank you, Nikos!